


Forever Renegades: Part One

by shambhalala



Series: Forever Renegades [1]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, POV First Person, Some of these characters will not appear until later but I'm tagging them now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2019-11-04 10:30:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17896763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shambhalala/pseuds/shambhalala
Summary: Josephine Coleman is sixteen when Samuel Morgan barges into her life. Little does she know, his unexpected intrusion will open her up to a world of love, loss, and adventure beyond anything she could have ever imagined.





	1. An Unwelcome Reunion

_Just before we begin: my amazing friend[@kenwaylights](https://kenwaylights.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr created a mixtape called '[ **No Guts**](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2FH5kgGGMaw2KTCgXx2jKz?si=xVuT40v3TbaGPtDImIM1Hw)_ [ **,** ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2FH5kgGGMaw2KTCgXx2jKz?si=xVuT40v3TbaGPtDImIM1Hw) _[**No Glory'**](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2FH5kgGGMaw2KTCgXx2jKz?si=xVuT40v3TbaGPtDImIM1Hw), which is a beautiful collection of songs that perfectly sums up Sam and Josie's relationship. I highly recommend you check it out, they did a wonderful job with it and I'm eternally grateful!_

_More about Josie[here](https://shambhalala.tumblr.com/post/168230147005/meet-my-oc-name-josephine-olivia-coleman#notes)._

Warnings: cursing, smoking.

Songs that helped me write this:

['Last Young Renegade' by All Time Low](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdXNNw4947U)

['Rollercoaster' by Bleachers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldk2pLyVZ4c)

* * *

 

**Friday 2 nd September, 1994**

 

The subway was crowded with people. Sweaty, tired people, clinging onto the overhead bars and staring ahead into nothingness, too braindead after their shift to even steam up the windows with mundane chatter. I was one of them.

 _Four years_ , I thought to myself. I gritted my teeth, hoping the music blaring through my one working headphone would drown out my venomous thoughts.

 _Four damn years of a history degree_ , _and I_ ’ _m working at a fucking supermarket_.

The subway screeched to a halt. Someone much larger than me bumped into my backpack and knocked me forward. I didn’t bother turning around to glare at them; this was my stop. Thank god, I was leaving this infernal place.

I shoved my way forward with barely a mutter of an apology, stepping out onto the platform and climbing the stairs.

Outside, the heavens were still open, the sky covered in grey clouds. I sighed in annoyance and pulled my hood over my head, trudging home without caring how many puddles I stepped in on my way.

It’s not that I hated Boston, but the place had become a source of bitter memories in recent years. It’s where my family fell apart, where I came home one evening to find Mom a broken mess in her bedroom, distraught and infuriated that Dad was leaving her. We still lived in that same house, the one Dad tried to drag me away from when the court battles got nasty. Mom and I recovered surprisingly well; she’d become more headstrong than I’d ever seen her before, throwing herself into her work at the museum and even calling me to ask for my help from time to time.

Bones and Lewis weren’t here anymore; Bones was thriving at medical school in Washington State, and Lewis was on a four-month long internship at NASA in California. I’d lost touch with everyone else I knew from school, or, they’d lost touch with me.

My history degree had brought me nothing spectacular so far. In the months since I’d graduated from New Orleans, all I’d managed to do was move back home and land a job stacking shelves. Mom kindly offered me some work at the museum, but understood that I wanted to forge my own path like she wished she’d done before Dad whisked her away to the States. It was proving extremely difficult, especially when Peter from work kept insisting on taking me out to dinner, which distracted me from my job-seeking process.

I sighed and crossed the road with the throngs of other people commuting on foot, huddling further into my jacket as the wind picked up. I’d stupidly agreed to go on a _third_ date with Peter tomorrow night; god knows why. It’s not that I didn’t like him, it’s just that he was older, and wanted a girl he could settle down with in a couple of years. I knew from the bottom of my heart that that girl wasn’t me.

I scoffed cynically to myself, wondering if he knew that too, and was just trying to clip my wings.

I turned a corner, heading away from the city and into the suburbs. Trees lined the streets, leaves blowing wildly into the air; the beginnings of Autumn. A tall brick building, fronted by black iron gates, caught my eye from the other side of the road.

Saint Francis Boy’s Home.

I looked ahead quickly, increasing my pace. Sam and Nathan leaving Boston was the only thing I’d not fully gotten over about my home city. Sam brought so much joy and excitement to my life, and I grew to love Nathan like my own brother. Sam and I fell for each other, and we fell hard. I’d naively dreamed of joining him on one of those treasure hunting adventures we always used to fantasise about, but all that had shattered in an instant. A misunderstanding coupled with bad timing, and two boys were branded criminals in a matter of minutes.

And then, it was over. They changed their surnames, and fled Boston, with no choice but to leave me behind.

I wondered where they were now. If they were off on some great adventure somewhere, or living like the rest of us, working in an office, or a supermarket. I shook the thought off as quickly as it came and scowled at myself, hunching my backpack further up.

Sam and I hadn’t had any contact for years. He’d probably forgotten about me. Although parts of the city still made my heart sting, I’d moved along with my life, too.

 _Yet you kept the damn book he bought you_ , I thought sourly.

I was fast approaching my house. I hurried, eager to get out of the rain and change out of my work uniform. Upon getting closer, I noticed a motorbike was parked next to my mom’s car. The paintwork looked like it had seen better days, but it was undeniably red and white.

I approached my front door, eyes still fixated on the bike. Sam’s old bike was that exact colour. It wasn’t his… _was_ it?

 _Don_ ’ _t be ridiculous_. _Why would he be back here_? I rolled my eyes at my pathetic optimism. So much for being over it.

“Hey Mom, I’m home!” I called as I opened the door. It was quiet; perhaps she was upstairs, or in the bathroom. I started my story anyway, slinging my backpack off my shoulders and stuffing my Walkman into it.

“Ugh, you will not _believe_ the day I’ve had,” I shuffled out of my shoes, and placed them on the shoe rack. “The subway was crammed _both_ ways, and _of course_ I dropped a whole box of tomatoes at work and who was there to help me? Peter. God, he used it as the perfect excuse to ask me on another date. And guess who agreed to it? Yeah, this idiot.”

I took off my coat and shook off the excess raindrops onto the welcome mat before placing it on a hook.

“He wants to take me out tomorrow, but… I’m gonna call him and cancel,” I declared, stepping further inside, and shaking my hair out of its ponytail. I followed the sound of faint noises coming from the living room.

“I mean he’s nice but I just don’t think he’s _right_ for me,” I complained, pushing the door open.

“He keeps droning on about how much he wants to have-”

I stopped and froze, dead in my tracks, in the doorway.

“…Kids.”

The word was a mere whisper as I darted my gaze between the three pairs of eyes staring at me.

Mom looked up at me from her armchair, a kind smile gracing her face. Two men had turned to look at me from their seats on the couch. I stared between them, and they stared back at me. Their eyes lit up in delight.

“Hey, pumpkin,” Mom said, shuffling forward in her seat. “These gentlemen have been waiting for you.”

“Josie!” the younger of the two leapt out of his seat, standing up to face me with an ecstatic smile.

I took a step further into the room, tilting my head and looking at him closely. He stood at least a head taller than me, with a lean figure. His once round cheeks were gone; they had thinned out into the face of a handsome young man, teetering on the verge of becoming an adult. His curly hair was no more; it was short, styled upwards into an unkempt spike. His eyes, unmistakably blue, gave away his identity in an instant.

It was Nathan.

“Wha… Nathan?” my voice sounded like an echo in the quiet room.

Nathan continued grinning at me until his gaze shifted to the movement next to him. The man next to him stood up, clasping his hands together as he shot me a small smile.

My breath ceased, and time seemed to stand still.

He’d outgrown his boyish looks; his jawline was chiselled, and hints of a muscular frame were showing around his chest and arms. His hair was longer, swept back away from his face. His eyes were an unchanged hazel and green.

“Good to see you again, sweetheart,” he spoke in a soft voice.

Sam.

My gaze darted between the brothers, my mouth opening and closing of its own will. Every time I tried to speak, mere stutters tumbled out.

“Well, it seems you two have caused quite a stir,” Mom laughed, capturing our attention.

Sam let out a small chuckle as Mom stared at me, placing her hands on the side of the chair.

“Mom, what’s going on here?” I asked, finally able to form a sentence.

She groaned and pushed herself out of her seat, Nathan moving to help her. She cast him a grateful smile, followed by a quick wink, and shuffled towards me.

“Well, dear, these two lovely boys showed up about an hour ago asking for you, and I knew you’d be back from work soon, so I invited them in. They’ve told me _avery_ thing about themselves,” she turned back to Sam and Nathan with a mischievous grin, and they laughed.

My head was spinning. _Did she just_ … _make a pirate joke_?

She turned back towards me and patted my arm before heading into the hall.

“And it sounds like you all have a lot to catch up on, so I’ll leave you to it,” she concluded, walking away, and closing the door behind her.

My mind was still racing at a million miles per hour trying to comprehend all of this.

It had been five years since I’d last seen Sam and Nathan. Mom knew of them, and of the heartbreak I went through when Sam and I had to break things off, but she’d never met them.

Yet, now, they were in my house, wearing audacious grins as if no time had passed, and they’d been chatting to my mom like she was a close friend.

Everything clicked into place. I glared between them, their smiles slowly melting away. Nathan gulped.

“What’s the matter? I thought you’d be happy to see us,” Sam asked, moving towards me with open arms as if to embrace me.

I clenched my fists, blood boiling. The _nerve_ of this guy.

“Oh boy,” I heard Nathan mutter as I took two strides into the centre of the room.

My nostrils flared. My eyes narrowed. Sam stared down at me with a widened gaze.

“ _You_ ,” I pointed a finger at Sam’s face, “disappear for _years_ without a fucking word, and now you show up here and expect me to be _happy_ to see you?! Samuel Morgan, just who the _hell_ do you think you are?!” I screamed, flecks of spit flying out of my mouth as rage filled every fibre of my body.

“It’s Drake,” Sam replied, bringing his hands up to his sides.

“What?” I snapped.

“Remember, we changed our surnames?” he asked, a tiny helpless smile gracing his face as he hunched his head into his shoulders like a scared tortoise.

“Oh, I don’t _believe_ you,” I spat, turning away from him, and facing the window. I scratched at my throat, watching through narrowed eyes as the rain trickled down the glass.

“I’m just gonna…” Nathan mumbled. I kept my gaze on the outside world, but I heard his footsteps and the familiar click of the door as it opened and closed.

It was just Sam and I alone in the living room now, drowning in tension and unspoken words.

We were both heartbroken when he and Nathan had to leave. We knew it was the only option, but that didn’t make moving on from him any easier, especially when he’d promised to keep in touch, but never did beyond a few phone calls early on. I did my best to forget him whilst I was at college; I threw myself into my work, I dated guys, I dated girls, and graduated a few months ago with lots of fond memories. But that effort was in vain when I moved back to Boston; my career was going nowhere, I was going on dates with a guy I didn’t feel anything for, and every building, every street corner, was filled with memories of Sam and Nathan. It was hard to forget him when everywhere I went served as a reminder.

How was I supposed to forget him _now_ when he was stood mere feet away from me?

I turned around to face him, knowing I couldn’t ignore the tension any longer. He was fiddling with his hands again, his expression vacant. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

“You’d better have a _very_ good reason for your lack of contact, Sam,” I stated, folding my arms.

He frowned at me, undoing his hands and flexing them at his sides.

“Hey, in my defence, we haven’t exactly had it easy these past few years,” he protested, taking a step towards me.

“And I _tried_ to contact you, okay? I wrote you letters when I was in-” he stopped, averting his gaze to the window behind me.

“When you were in _what_ , Sam?” I asked, though I had a feeling I knew what the answer was already.

“When I… when I was in prison. But the guards must’ve torn them up.”

I scoffed. “Prison, great. So much for getting on the straight and narrow,” I frowned back at him.

“You know as well as I did what happened that night, Josie! We had no choice, we had to run or they would’ve locked us up and our mom’s work would’ve been lost!” Sam shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

“Besides, I would’ve had to skip town anyway.”

My scowl deepened in confusion. “What do you mean, _anyway_?” I asked.

He averted his gaze again, biting his lip. “I, uh… I had a job I was gonna take, before that… before we had to run. So I would’ve had to leave…” his voice trailed off at the end of his sentence as he looked back at my furious expression.

“So you were gonna leave anyway and you never _told_ me? Jesus Christ, Sam!”

“For chrissakes, of course I was gonna tell you! But what’s the point when we had to go anyway?! Have you forgotten how hard this business is? These things don’t just show up overnight!” he retorted, his shouts bouncing off the walls. I stood my ground and scowled at him, determined not to break anymore.

“Guess it’s okay when you can afford to go to some high-class college for four years,” he muttered, folding his arms.

My eyes widened as Sam continued glaring at me. I strode towards him before I could stop myself, feeling sparks flying down my arms as I stabbed my finger against his chest with every word.

“I cannot _believe_ you are blaming _me_ for _your_ lifestyle choices!” I shouted. I stood on my tiptoes, levelling our faces. His eyes were dark, and I could see my expression of unadulterated rage reflecting back at me.

“Well _excuse_ me for having a mother that I couldn’t turn my back on,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

Sam’s scowl faltered, but his furious eyes remained locked on mine. After a few seconds, he abruptly turned away, and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. I heard the front door slam shut shortly after.

I huffed, bringing a hand to the back of my neck. I’d _definitely_ crossed a line.

I looked down at my feet, my vision becoming blurry with tears as the rage dispersed from my body. I pinched my eyes shut with one hand, taking deep breaths.

There was no noise of the revving of his motorbike outside, so at least he hadn’t left. He’d probably just gone to cool down.

I stepped out of the living room, looking around. No one. I drifted into the kitchen, my head hanging low.

Nathan stood on one end of the counter island. Mom had her back turned and was humming as she poured boiling water into four teacups.

“Hey,” Nathan said, casting me a small smile as I stepped into the room. I smiled back at him, placing a hand on his shoulder. A silent apology, which he seemed to accept when he returned the gesture.

Mom’s humming ceased and she cast her gaze over her shoulder at my presence. “Well, that sounded like quite a performance. I do hope you didn’t break anything.” Her tone was stern.

“No, no, we didn’t,” I sighed.

 _Except your hearts_.

Mom turned around and placed steaming cups of pink liquid in front of Nathan and I. Hibiscus tea. She always made it for me whenever I was stressed. Throughout my last year of high school, I often woke up at my desk after a night of studying to find a cup of it placed on my bedside table.

“So,” Mom began, nursing her own cup. “What’s the plan, Josephine?”

“What do you mean?” I frowned at her before taking a sip of the hot liquid. Nathan did the same, raising the cup to his lips.

“You mean to tell me that you and Samuel were so busy screaming your heads off that you don’t know what they’ve been up to?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

“Uh, well… I guess so” I admitted, casting my gaze back down at my drink.

“Well, looks like it’s up to you, Nathan,” Mom declared.

I looked at Nathan, and he turned to me, placing his cup down. He had a sparkle in his eyes, the same one I’d seen when he was out with Sam and I when he was a kid.

“Josie, you’re not gonna believe this,” he began, a grin forming on his face as he withdrew a small, battered notebook from the back pocket of his jeans.

He flicked through the pages, pointing at sketches and handwritten notes as he hastily filled me in on everything they’d done in the last few years. It was like something out of a movie; they’d chased their mom’s work around the globe. They’d both been to jail, multiple times. Most recently, they’d been pursuing Sir Francis Drake’s lost exhibition; their favourite family topic, and the historic figure they’d named themselves after.

“And look at this,” Nate pulled out a thin string of material from underneath his shirt. There was a ring on the end of it, which he held out to me.

I looked at it closely, turning it round in my grasp.

“Sic… parvis… magna,” I read the inscription aloud, breathless with excitement and disbelief.

Sam had taught me enough Latin back in the day, so I recognised the phrase in an instant. It was Sir Francis Drake’s motto; _greatness from small beginnings_.

Mom cursed under her breath, leaning over the counter to look at it.

“Where did you get that?” she asked.

Nathan’s eyes widened as he looked at her.

“Oh, uh…” he began. His face flushed red as Mom tutted at him and shook her head.

“Don’t think I haven’t heard the stories, young man,” she laughed. “Us museum folk… word gets around, you know. But don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. Better than that Marlowe woman having it,” she continued, sipping her tea.

I dropped the ring like it was on fire.

“It’s real?” I asked him.

Nathan nodded at me. “We’ve had to call it quits on Sir Francis Drake for now though. Sully helped us out on it, but we’re at a stalemate while ever Marlowe has this,” he flicked a few pages ahead in his notebook, pointing to a drawing of an astrolabe.

I sighed, trying to digest all this information. I felt guilt pooling at the bottom of my stomach, making my eyes sting again. Nathan had been chased around on the streets and held at gunpoint only two years after I knew him, whilst Sam had been in jail. They weren’t screwing around; they really _had_ had it rough over the last few years.

“All right, so… if you’ve got this Sully, or… Victor guy helping you out, why exactly are you back here?” I asked, pushing down my guilt, and looking Nathan in the eye.

For a split second, Nathan seemed to turn back into a child right in front of me. His eyes lost their sparkle; he looked hurt, vulnerable. He swallowed.

“We… we want you to come with us. This is what you always wanted to do, right?” he asked, almost pleading.

“Do _what_ , Nathan? You said it yourself, you’re at a stalemate! There’s nothing for me here!” I sighed.

“There _is_ , just listen! We stopped working on Drake’s stuff, and we moved onto this,” Nathan pleaded with me, desperately thumbing through his notebook some more.

He landed on a page and held it out to me. I spotted a sideways skull and crossbones in the top corner; Henry Avery’s sigil.

“The Gunsway heist?” I questioned as I scanned Nathan’s handwriting. I remembered the tale well.

“We’ve got leads, and Sully’s coming to help us out. If Sam could just explain-” he stopped, and we looked at each other.

I turned my gaze back to the hall. Sam still hadn’t come back in.

“I… I don’t know, Nathan,” I mumbled, looking back down at my tea. It was turning lukewarm.

“C’mon, Josie, just talk to him. I’m serious, this is real,” Nathan encouraged me with a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I stayed silent, feeling my stomach continue to tighten with guilt. I saw Mom’s hand come to clasp my own, and I looked up at her. Her gaze was firm, unwavering.

“Pumpkin, I know how much you want to explore the world. These boys have the answer. They love you almost as much as I do, and they mean well.”

“Mom, you don’t seriously _buy_ this, do you?” I asked her.

“How do you think stuff comes into the museum? Discoveries like this could go down in _history_. Just… don’t spend your life wondering what could’ve been.” She squeezed my hand.

I knew what she was trying to say. _Don_ ’ _t do what I did and settle for an easy life over the life you love_. Dad leaving made every opportunity she’d thrown away come crashing back into her mind in tidal waves; she didn’t want me to do the same.

I took a deep breath, and stood up straight, turning to look at Nathan. He stared back at me, waiting with baited breath for an answer.

“I’ll talk to him. But don’t get your hopes up just yet,” I stated, moving away from the counter towards the door.

Relief washed over his soft features, and Mom chuckled under her breath.

“Go get him, habibti!” Mom cheered as I exited the room.

I walked to the front door, taking a deep breath as I opened it and stepped outside.

The rain had stopped. The sun was peeking out from behind grey clouds, brightening the front of the house. I spotted Sam standing next to his motorbike. He held a cigarette in his right hand as he blew smoke into the air. He glanced at me when the front door clicked shut, but his gaze darted away in an instant.

I stepped towards him, folding my arms, and watching my feet as they drifted closer to him. I stopped a few feet away, and looked up.

He didn’t look angry anymore. If anything, this was the calmest I’d ever seen him. Either he was serious about making up with me, or nicotine was one hell of a drug.

“Smoking? When did that start?” I asked, trying my best not to sound judgemental. Not a good start.

Sam shrugged. “Couple years back. Don’t do it, it’s bad for you,” he warned me before raising it to his lips once more.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped; he still had the same corny sense of humour. He smiled too, still looking ahead.

“So,” Sam began, exhaling smoke from his nostrils. “Who’s Peter?”

My stomach plummeted, and I brought one hand to my neck, wishing the ground would swallow me up. _Of course_ he’d picked up on that.

“Oh, just… some guy from work, been… sorta seeing.”

“Does he treat you right?” Sam dared a sideways glance at me, one eyebrow cocked.

I scoffed in annoyance; he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. I folded my arms again, frowning.

“Low blow, Sam. You can’t really expect me to believe you haven’t had other girlfriends while we’ve been apart,” I argued.

He frowned at me as he inhaled again.

“ _Girlfriends_? Nah. Drunken flings maybe, but no. No girlfriends,” he was composed as he spoke, turning to look at me.

Those eyes almost made me melt on the spot. He was serious, and I detected a faint hint of sadness that I doubted him. I looked away, trying not to let my feelings get the better of me.

“So… Nathan tells me you’re after Avery’s treasure,” I decided to change the subject.

Sam dropped his cigarette and crushed it under one foot, turning to face me fully. Any trace of sadness remaining in his eyes had dissipated; it was obvious to see where the spark in Nathan’s eyes came from, because Sam was bearing the exact same one.


	2. Rules are Made to be Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it all began.

**Thursday 3 rd March, 1988**

There was one rule about our practice that we were required to recite at the end of every class.

Never use karate outside of the dojo, unless in self-defence.

Well… it _was_ self-defence, right? The intruder had yielded and I’d barely let him get a word in edgeways, but I had no idea who he was, what he was capable of, or why he was in my house. So… yeah, I’d call it self-defence.

 

It was supposed to be a typical day at school. Get up. Shower. Get dressed. Check my schoolbag. Grab my karate kit. Bones and Lewis called by my house on their way, and we walked to school together.

“Have you guys started looking at colleges yet? My mom’s taking me to Yale in the summer,” Lewis asked, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

“Lewis, _chill_ ,” Bones rolled her eyes at him. “We don’t need to worry about that kinda stuff yet. Leave it ‘til next year.”

“I’m just being prepared, _you_ should try it too if you’re serious about being a doctor!” Lewis protested.

I walked beside them, amused by their antics.

Bones’s real name was Bridget, but we nicknamed her Bones due to her obsession with doodling skulls on everything. She longed to be a doctor “to put her nickname to good use,” she claimed, though we knew her parents were pushing her to follow in the footsteps of her older siblings. The Kennings were a proud family; their lineage had been in Boston for longer than mine or Lewis’s. Their ancestors sailed over from Ireland in the mid-19th century, and had every intent on making a name for themselves ever since, or so Bones’s mom had told me. Bones didn’t seem to mind the pressure on her shoulders, or at least she didn’t show it. Any frustrations she had were taken out on whatever poor victim she was paired with in karate.

Lewis, on the other hand, shuddered at the mere mention of having to deal with blood and, like me, was hopeless at drawing. He preferred to dedicate his time to solving complicated equations and hoped to be the next Einstein. We teased that he already looked a little like him, with his fuzzy brown hair and the beginnings of a moustache peeking out above his lips. He took our teasing in his stride and saw it as a badge of honour to be compared to his favourite physicist.

Then there was me, Josephine, born to an Egyptian mother and an American father. They met when my dad was on a trip to Cairo for work; my mom was a tour guide, and they fell in love when he impressed her with his knowledge of Egyptian history. They were engaged and had moved to Boston together just over a year later. They worked at the Harvard Peabody museum, hosting talks and events on the various artefacts that came in and out. I was forced to attend when I was younger since they struggled to find a babysitter, but it worked out well. I developed an intense passion for history, which my parents were thrilled about. Mom told me endless stories about the exhibitionists she met, about Ancient Egyptian pharaohs and their gods and goddesses; they quickly became my favourite topics, and I checked out every available book on Egypt from the library. I knew I wanted to pursue my passion, but I wasn’t sure how to do it. I yearned for discovery like what Mom used to do, but I knew Dad was right in saying that academia was the safest way to start.

“Learn the facts first, then you can run off and play Indiana Jones if you still insist,” he’d said to me one Saturday morning from behind his newspaper. Mom just winked at me and imitated Indiana’s famous whip cracking move, forcing me to supress a giggle.

So that was us. Bones, Lewis, and Josephine. Three high school sophomores who you’d least expect to be friends, yet here we were. Though, the disagreements between Bones and Lewis _did_ make me wonder how we stayed friends at times.

“I’m serious, Bones! The sooner you get yourself out there the better your chance of getting in will be!” Lewis continued his lecture, but Bones wasn’t listening. Frustrated, he turned to me.

“Josie, back me up here. You’ve started looking at colleges too, right?”

“Sorry, Lewis, you’re on your own,” I replied. Dad was pushing me to consider colleges already, but I hadn’t thought beyond wanting to study history.

“Ha! See?” Bones cheered. “You just don’t get it, Lewis. _Girls just wanna have fun_ ,” she sang, raising her arms above her head and clicking her fingers.

Lewis and I groaned; Bones was tone deaf, and she knew it.

“All right, enough with the torture!” I complained, shoving her.

“Hey! You better watch what you’re doing, or I’ll kick your ass in karate later,” Bones did her best to intimidate me by towering over me.

“If you can catch me,” I retorted with a grin.

“Save the trash talk for later, guys. We’re here,” Lewis interrupted us as we approached the steps leading up to school.

Masses of boys and girls surrounded the place, most of them seated on the steps in their own little cliques. Some were reading, others smoking, and most were talking. A few eyes turned our way as we walked. I waved to people I knew from class.

As we approached the top of the steps, a familiar set of matching acid washed denim jackets and polished white sneakers came into view.

“Great, I was hoping to avoid these assholes today,” I muttered, eyeing the group of boys with disdain as they jostled each other. One of them turned his head our way. Todd Butcher. A cocky smirk crept onto his face and he ran his hands through the coiffed mullet on his head, walking towards us.

“Hey, look who it is!” He called, his smirk growing with every second. I groaned and darted forwards, hoping to slip by him before he could corner me.

Todd was a loud, boisterous guy who loved to parade around school like it was his personal amusement park; a stark contrast to his Catholic upbringing. I first met him at a party that Bones, Lewis, and I had attended at the start of the new school year. He’d taken a liking to me after spotting Lewis and I huddled in a corner away from the crowd, playing _Super Mario Bros._ and enthusing about the upcoming sequel. He’d attempted to shove Lewis out of the way and kept awkwardly hanging over us, complimenting me as I tried to concentrate on the game. He even tried to insist on walking me home until Bones threatened to kick his teeth in with her biker boots. That was six months ago, and he still hadn’t stopped pestering me.

“Hey, Josephine!” Todd stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I glared at him, trying to put on a brave face even though my heart was pounding with nerves.

“Oh look, Lewis, Mommy said her little church boy could wear his big tough denim jacket today. You look _wicked_ cool,” Bones mocked him with a venomous stare. Lewis was already preparing to grab onto her sleeve as Todd scowled back at her.

I sighed and scraped my hair behind my ears. “What do you want, Todd?”

His scowl was gone in an instant as he looked down at me, fiddling with the collar of his jacket.

“I wanna know why you’re still hangin’ out with four eyes and Little Miss Leprechaun over here,” he gestured to my side, where Lewis was now desperately clutching Bones’s sleeve.

“When you _could_ be hangin’ with _me_ ,” he continued.

I scoffed at his insult. Some of Todd’s friends were watching us now, snickering to each other in hushed voices.

“Get lost, creep,” was the best I could come up with at short notice. Todd looked somewhat defeated, but he merely shrugged and raised his eyebrows at me before turning back to his friends.

“Your loss, doll!” He shouted over his shoulder.

Bones escaped from Lewis’s grasp, and was about to storm over and curse Todd out, but I put my arm in front of her.

“Bones, just leave it. He’s not worth it.”

“Ugh, I don’t know why you put up with it, we could _totally_ kick his ass!”

“It’s not worth getting sent to the principal’s office over,” I replied. Lewis nodded in agreement. Bones huffed.

The rest of the day was relatively normal. Normal lessons, normal lunch, normal study sessions. When the bell rang for the end of the day, Bones and I said goodbye to Lewis before heading to the gym for our karate lesson.

“Have fun! Don’t kill anyone, all right?” Lewis called as he walked down the steps.

“We guarantee nothing!”

We were the first ones in the changing room when we arrived. The stench of sweaty basketball sneakers filled the small space.

“What’re we practising tonight?”

“Chokeholds, I think.”

“Ugh, _again_? When’re we gonna learn how to dropkick?” Bones whined.

“Patience, young Padawan,” I replied.

“ _You_ ,” Bones glared at me, “have been spending _way_ too much time with Lewis. He’s turning you into a total nerd.”

“As if I wasn’t already one.”

A dozen other students showed up for karate, a mixture of regulars and some new faces. Most of the lesson was dedicated to a one on one mock fight, during which Bones managed to knock me over a couple of times, but I eventually gained the upper hand by dodging her punches and successfully seizing her in a chokehold.

“Nicely done, Josephine!” Our sensei praised me as he wandered between the pairs. After wandering a while longer, he clapped his hands twice to declare the end of the lesson. We knelt and clasped our hands together, repeating our sensei’s words.

“…and I will never use karate outside of the dojo, unless in self-defence.”

 

The sun was setting as we left school, outlining the city skyline in a bright shade of orange. The trees lining the sidewalk were sprouting green leaves, marking the beginning of spring, but the air still stung with the bitter cold of winter’s end. Bones and I huddled further into our jackets.

“D’you think you’d ever, like… _break_ one of our karate rules?” Bones asked me with a sly grin.

“Whaddya mean?”

“Well, sensei always drones on and on about _never use karate outside of the dojo unless in self-defence_ ,” Bones lowered her voice in a mocking impression of him. I laughed, covering my mouth to stifle a snort.

“But _I_ think,” she stepped closer to me and lowered her head to mine, “we should put Todd Butcher in his place,” her voice returned to its usual tone of mischief as she grinned at me. I shoved her away with a roll of my eyes.

“Bones, _no_! We’re not breaking the rules just so you can have your little revenge fantasy.”

“Oh, come _on_. Rules are _made_ to be broken,” she wiggled her eyebrows, trying to sway me. I shook my head at her, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the image my mind conjured up.

“Can you imagine? His mother would totally condemn us to hell,” I chuckled.

“ _A plague o_ ’ _both your houses unless you volunteer at the church service with me_!” Bones added, causing us both to collapse in hysterical laughter.

“Speaking of houses, here’s me,” I declared with a giggly sigh. The driveway was empty.

“Your Mom and Dad at the museum still?”

I shrugged. “There’s a new exhibition about some Mayan pottery, so… probably.”

“You want any company?”

“Nah, I’m good. Should probably start looking through those college brochures my dad brought back for me,” I replied, fishing my key out of my pocket.

“Like I said, total neeeerd!” Bones shouted, blowing a raspberry at me as she continued to walk down the street.

“You’re such an idiot!” I shouted back, laughing. “See you tomorrow?”

“You know it!”

I continued laughing to myself as I unlocked the front door. I flicked the lights on and dropped my schoolbag to the floor.

Home at last.

I wriggled out of my shoes and hung my jacket up. I hummed to myself as I stepped into the kitchen, spotting a note on the counter island.

 

_Hey pumpkin_ ,

_Sorry you_ ’ _re on your own for a little longer tonight_ , _we_ ’ _re still at the museum_. _There_ ’ _s some leftover quiche in the fridge for your dinner_ , _just stick it in the microwave for a few minutes_.

_See you soon_!

_Mom and Dad xxx_

 

I smiled as I read the note, opening the fridge. I wasn’t hungry yet, so I decided I’d come back to it later. I walked into the living room, flopped down on the couch, and turned the TV on. I flicked through channels, trying to find something to immerse myself in, but the college brochures my dad bought were glaring at me from their neat, untouched pile on the coffee table. I caved and picked one up, reading the cover.

“Jesus, Dad, as if I’d _ever_ get into Stanford,” I mumbled to myself. I could do it if I tried _really_ hard, but it was way too much pressure. I didn’t want to end up like some of the people in the grade above, who looked like they lived on caffeine and broke down in tears if they got anything lower than ninety-eight percent on a class test.

I flicked through the pile some more. Harvard. Yale. Princeton. MIT.

“Hmm, what’s this one?” I reached the bottom of the pile. The last brochure was for the University of New Orleans.

_Aha_! _Finally_ , _somewhere that_ ’ _s not gonna kill me trying to get in_. There was a picture of the lakefront campus on the front cover. It looked so blue and welcoming, unlike the murky waters of the numerous rivers that flowed through Boston. I scanned the pages, feeling my excitement grow as I browsed the pictures of the campus and read about their history course. It looked interesting and, best of all, achievable.

My hands trembled excitedly as I grinned to myself. I leapt out of my seat and danced around, punching the air. It was early days, but this could be the one! Now I just needed to get Mom and Dad on board so we could go and see the campus for ourselves.

My stomach gurgled. Okay, maybe it was time to eat.

I walked back to the kitchen, brochure still in hand, and retrieved the quiche from the fridge. I placed it into the microwave for a few minutes, flicking through the pages some more as my food rotated lazily.

I knew Mom would be thrilled that I’d found somewhere that sparked my interest, but Dad would take a little more convincing. I knew he meant well; he always insisted I was smart enough for Harvard, and that their positions at the museum would almost guarantee me a place, but I didn’t want to go based on reputation, like some stuck-up kid who bought their way in.

The microwave dinged. I tossed the brochure onto the counter, my mouth watering as I caught the faint scent of my quiche wafting towards me.

I was about to pop the door open when a faint thud upstairs caught my attention. My head snapped up and my breath halted, mouth suddenly running dry.

_Tap_. _Tap_. _Thud_.

Crap.

Someone, or something, was upstairs.

Panic coursed through my veins. Mom and Dad weren’t home yet, and I had no idea how to deal with whatever was up there. What was I supposed to do? Wait here in the kitchen until it comes down to kill me? Hide in a cupboard and hope it went away? I’d seen enough horror movies to know that neither of those options were a good idea.

The only other viable alternative was to investigate it myself. My heart started thumping in my chest at the thought, but my feet were already carrying me out of the kitchen.

“Oh, this is _so_ stupid,” I cursed myself as I tip-toed towards the stairs. I flicked on the light.

Nothing in the hall. Nothing on the staircase. So far, so good.

My hands began to tremble again. I clenched them into fists and placed a wobbly foot onto the first step of the staircase, ascending silently.

“It’ll be fine. It’s never the virgins who die in horror movies,” I humoured myself, desperate for any kind of comfort.

But this wasn’t a horror movie; this was real life.

I was halfway up the stairs now, and I still hadn’t seen anything. I let out a shaky breath, gaining a small amount of confidence in the fact that I was still alive. I must be doing something right.

My knowledge of tonight’s events flooded back into my mind. Karate, of course! I wasn’t half bad at it, maybe I could take down whatever was lurking, or put them in a chokehold and scream for help until the neighbours heard me.

I bit my lip, trying to maintain my posture and resist my nervous urge to scratch at my throat. It dawned on me that I’d never used karate outside of class. Sure, it was one thing to take down Bones in a structured fighting session, but I had no idea what this threat would be. Knowing my luck, it’d be a six-foot wall of muscle with a knife.

The landing was clear. There were three doors upstairs; one for the bathroom, one for my parent’s room, and one for my room. All of them were shut.

_Pick a door_ , _any door_.

I reached for my own door, drawing in a deep breath as I placed my hand on the handle. I drew my other hand backwards, poised to launch into a blow.

_Please don_ ’ _t be Michael Myers_ , _please don_ ’ _t be Michael Myers_.

The door creaked open.

My bedroom was dark, and unusually cold. I walked further inside, listening.

Silence.

I exhaled and uncurled my fist. I traced my hand along the wall for the light switch.

_Click_.

The first thing I saw was my reflection in the mirror, blue eyes wide with uncertainty, knuckles whitened from clinging to the door handle.

There was someone pressed up against the other side of the door. A boy, probably about my age, stared back at my reflection, his mouth slightly agape in anticipation.

My lungs reacted before my head and I screamed.

The boy launched into action. He peeled himself away from the door in an instant and shook his hands desperately at me.

“ _Shh_ , _no no no no_ , _don_ ’ _t_!” He hissed, his eyes wide with panic.

He launched himself at me. He pushed me against the wall and covered my mouth with one hand, attempting to muffle my screams.

My screaming ceased and my chest rose and fell rapidly in unadulterated fear, every inch of my body ordering me to _do something_.

The boy was staring back at me, hazel and green eyes still widened. His mouth continued to shush me as he drew away. His hands stood by his shoulders in surrender, palms facing out towards me.

My nerves continued to drown out all sense of reason. My hands curled into fists again.

_It_ ’ _s now or never_.

“Okay-”

_Whack_.

The boy stumbled and fell to the floor, clutching his cheek and cursing. I towered over him and poised my fist again, feeling a lot braver.

“Jesus! What the hell-”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call the cops,” the threat sped out of my mouth before I could even comprehend the words.

The boy stopped and slowly got to his feet, still holding his hands up. I saw the glaring red mark I’d left on his cheek; the beginnings of a bruise, no doubt. I almost felt proud.

I managed to get a good look at my intruder now that my immediate sense of fear had subsided. He was at least a head taller than me, and lean. His hair – thick and dark brown like mine, but straight and styled upwards – screamed teenage rebel, but his face was displaying the subtle beginnings of adulthood, with thin cheeks, and a lightly chiselled jawline. He was wearing a denim jacket that looked like it had seen a lot of use. He _had_ to be my age, maybe only a year older, tops. Why had I never seen him at school before?

He swallowed and drew in a breath.

“Please don’t call the cops,” his request was firm, but quiet.

I lowered my fist, but kept it clenched, narrowing my eyes. He noticed my suspicion.

“Look, I know this looks really bad,” he began, offering a slight smile, “but in my defence, you should really learn to lock your bedroom window.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

“So, you’re saying it’s _my_ fault that _you_ broke into _my_ house?” I snapped. I felt my blood beginning to boil. My hands clenched further along with my jaw.

“No, look, I- forget it” he stuttered. “I’m sorry, okay? I-I tried to lift a guy’s wallet and it went bad, I just needed a few minutes to lay low somewhere,” he continued, scratching the back of his head. He peered out of my open window behind him, ears twitching. He was still on edge, like a wild animal being stalked by its predator.

I snorted, which caught his attention. He looked at me in confusion as I shrugged in defeat.

“Great, so you’re a thief. Well, suppose it’s better than a serial killer,” I tried to kid myself that it was funny, but the truth was, I was overwhelmed, and had no idea what to do. He clearly wasn’t going to hurt me, but he was still a stranger, and a criminal at that.

“Hey, it’s not outta choice!”

“ _Not outta choice_? So what, you just so _happened_ to steal a guy’s wallet?” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I paced around, one hand in my hair and the other on the side of my neck.

“I-I needed the money, okay?!”

That made me stop and turn to face him again. His eyes were pleading with me as he continued to pour out what I could only assume was the truth.

“I needed it… for my little brother. He doesn’t have much, I wanted to surprise him,” he sighed, averting his gaze to the floor. He looked ashamed.

Guilt flooded my system. I clasped my hands together, mumbling an apology.

“S’alright. You didn’t know,” the boy shrugged his shoulders at me, moving back towards the window. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ve, uh… outstayed my welcome…”

He ducked his head out of the window.

“Wait!”

He moved away from the window, turning to look at me.

My mind was barely registering my actions. The guilty conscience still coursing through my veins made me scramble through one of my bedside drawers, looking for my stash of money I’d kept from when I used to deliver newspapers to the neighbourhood.

Bingo, found it. There was only a hundred dollars max, but I held it out to him.

“Here. You need it more than me.”

The boy sighed and moved away again. “Thanks, sweetheart, but I don’t need your charity.”

I stepped closer to him, my hand still outstretched with the fistful of notes. “You said you have a little brother, right? Please, just take it.”

His gaze softened as he looked at my unmoving expression. He slid the notes out of my hand, stuffing them into the back pocket of his jeans with a small smile.

I smiled back at him, my heart rate beginning to slow down, until our attention was captured by the sound of a car engine shuddering to a halt close by.

“Shit. My parents,” I hissed.

“All right, well, I know when it’s my cue to leave,” the boy said. In a flash he was straddling my windowsill and grabbing the drain pipe outside with one outstretched hand. I watched in fascination; something about the way he moved so effortlessly told me he’d done it many times. My surprise was clearly evident when he turned to look at me, a cocky smirk breaking out onto his face.

“Thanks again, by the way. What’s your name?”

The question caught me off guard, and I found myself staring at him dumbfoundedly for a moment, until the sound of keys in the front door spurred me into answering.

“Oh, I’m Josephine. Josie Coleman.”

“Well, Josephine Josie,” he chuckled. “I’m Samuel Sam. Morgan.”

I found myself laughing. _Laughing_ , at the corniest joke I’d ever heard, told by a boy I’d just decked for trespassing in my house. _What the hell_?

“Josie, we’re home!” Dad shouted from downstairs. At the same time, Sam’s figure disappeared from my windowsill, and I heard faint, hasty footsteps on the sidewalk below.

“Coming!” I squeaked, still trying to process the events of the last few minutes. I felt dazed as my feet carried me downstairs and into the hallway. Mom and Dad were chatting in the kitchen; I slowed my pace, listening.

“Sariah, she can do _much_ better than New Orleans and you know that! I bet she hasn’t even _looked_ at the other brochures,” Dad grumbled.

“Let her go where _she_ wants to go! We can’t hold onto her forever. At least let’s talk to her about it later,” Mom replied.

I rolled my eyes. At least Mom was on my side.

“Habibti!” Mom exclaimed as I stepped into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around me, her hair tickling my face.

“Hey, Mom!” I replied, returning the gesture.

“How was karate?” She asked as she stepped away from me and began busying herself with the kitchen appliances.

“Oh, uh… fine,” I replied, chewing my lip as I tried to forget the events of this strange, strange evening.

Dad was watching me like a hawk from the other side of the counter, sending butterflies into my stomach. Shit, he was onto me.

“So,” he began, sliding the brochure to my end of the counter. “New Orleans. Looks good you think?”

“Oh, Daniel, let her have a minute, she’s not even eaten yet!” Mom tutted, spotting the quiche in the microwave. She turned it back on to warm.

I sighed in relief. My secret was safe for now. I stood up straight, shoving my thoughts of Sam aside.

“Yeah, Dad… I liked the look of the campus, and their history course looks wicked good,” I began, hoping my brief explanation would satisfy him for now. “Anyway, how’d the exhibition go?”

Dad nodded. “Pretty well. We’re really lacking on new stuff for the displays, though. I just wish that old hag would co-operate and donate something for once,” he complained, cleaning his glasses with the bottom of his shirt.

“ _Old hag_? That woman is a respected explorer, don’t talk about her like that!” Mom snapped, frowning as she placed the now rewarmed quiche and a fork in front of me.

“ _Was_ a respected explorer. Now she just sits around hoarding pieces of history in that decrepit house! What is she even _doing_ with it all?!” Dad retorted.

“This the woman you’ve mentioned before?” I asked through a mouthful of food.

Mom nodded at me. “Evelyn. She’s in her eighties now, she’s never going to change. It’s a lost cause.”

“Hopefully she’ll drop dead soon and we can swing in and get some stuff before it’s auctioned off to other museums,” Dad muttered.

“ _Daniel_!” Mom gasped.

“Well sorry, but it’s the truth. We’ve got bills to pay, and she’s our ticket to keeping the museum alive. Anyway, I’m gonna watch TV. Night, pumpkin. Do have another look at those brochures soon, yeah?” He shot me a wink as he disappeared into the living room.

Mom sighed and shook her head in his direction as I continued chewing my food silently.

“Don’t listen to him, habibti,” she whispered, one hand on my shoulder. “You go wherever makes you happy.”

“I will. Thanks, Mom,” I replied, pushing my empty plate away. She winked at me, moving the plate into the sink, humming as she grabbed the kettle and filled it with water. She always made tea in the evenings; she had so many different types for different occasions that I used to wonder how she kept track of them, until she talked me through them one day. Thursday evening was always chamomile, apparently to soothe my muscles after karate.

“I was thinking we could go and see the campus sometime, in New Orleans?” I asked as she placed the kettle on the stove.

Mom stopped humming as she reached for the teacups and teabags from the shelf.

“Hmm. Your dad and I are busy with the museum for the next few weekends,” she said, turning to me. “So it would have to be next month, or in summer once you’re out of school.”

I looked away as if in thought, but my mind wandered. I was still trying to make this evening seem normal again, but my mind was circling back to Sam. Was he safe? What about his little brother he mentioned? Why the hell did I even _care_? I’d only met the guy for a few minutes and most of them were spent feeling cornered and hopeless. My brain was frazzled; nothing added up.

“Oh, never mind about it,” Mom said, snapping me out of my trance. She placed a teacup in front of me.

“We’ll make sure you get there soon enough, don’t worry,” she finished, taking a sip from her own cup. I copied her, letting the hot liquid soothe me.

“Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it,” I replied with a smile. She smiled back, but eyed me cautiously.

“Everything okay?”

I nearly choked on my drink. Panicked, I squeaked out a quiet “Mhmm,” and swallowed the liquid that was now burning my mouth.

Mom frowned at me, placing her cup down.

“Is that Todd Butcher bothering you again?” She asked, her voice low and monotone.

_Phew_. It wasn’t exactly a lie to say yes. I lowered my shoulders, nodding without a word.

“Idiot boy. I’m in half a mind to march up to the church and tell his mother to mind after her own wretched sons instead of fussing all over the church kids,” Mom grumbled. “Maybe then he’ll stop pining for attention from you.”

I snorted into my drink. Mom’s days as a tour guide made her able to read people in an instant, she was incredibly perceptive. She didn’t get mad often, but she knew how to use her observations to her advantage when need be. Words were her weapons.

“Never thought of it that way,” I said, finishing the last of my tea.

“It’s a skill like any other, give it time,” she replied, taking our cups and placing them in the sink. She glanced at the clock. “You might want to get some sleep, it’s getting a little late and you still have school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I leant towards her so she could kiss my cheek, then backed into the hallway and headed for the stairs.

“All right then. Goodnight, habibti!”

“Night!” I called back, shutting my bedroom door after me.

I sighed and turned my light on, my stomach lurching as my reflection stared back at me again like earlier. Thankfully, there was no one else watching me this time.

I moved the window and stuck my head out into the cool night. The street was dark save for a few dim streetlamps. I turned my head to the right and looked down, frowning at the drainpipe and the ground below.

_How the hell did he do that_? I asked myself. I withdrew my head and sighed, shutting the window. No use asking questions now; he was gone.

I changed into my pyjamas and paced around my room, gathering schoolbooks for tomorrow and looking at my surroundings. History books filled the shelves above my desk, which was currently cluttered with Mom’s old magazine clippings about exhibitionists she’d met in Egypt. I gazed at them and smiled, wondering wistfully if I’d be able to do something similar in the future.

I glanced up at the posters on my wall. I had one of Bladerunner that Lewis had gifted to me for my birthday a couple of months back, and the rest were of far away places; India, Greece, Scotland. All places I longed to visit, maybe even work in someday if everything worked out.

I hummed under my breath and turned off the light, pacing towards my bed and crawling under the covers. Thinking of my future was a good distraction, but it wasn’t long before my mind began to wander back to Sam. I frowned at the ceiling, racking my brain for any traces of him from school. From the museum. From _anywhere_.

Nothing.

I turned onto my side and hoisted the covers further up. I closed my eyes and his face flashed before me. His wide-eyed, scared look when I screamed. The tiny smile when he accepted the money I offered him. That cocky smirk as he climbed his way out of my room like an acrobat. I remembered the mark I’d left on his cheek and frowned; no doubt that’d last several days. Bones would’ve been proud of me, but I felt a little bad for it. I’d apologise when I saw him again.

_If_ I saw him again.

Eventually, the chamomile’s effects started to kick in, and I began to drift into unconsciousness. My last thought was to ask Bones and Lewis tomorrow if they knew of anyone resembling him. Until then, Samuel Morgan would remain a mystery.


	3. Troublemaker

Warnings: cursing.

Songs that helped me write this:

['Troublemaker' by Grizfolk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyFA4kDCvCI)

['Jump' by Van Halen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN7mTi6HM)

* * *

 

**Saturday 5 th March, 1988**

 

“Josie. Yo, Josie. Helloooo?”

I snapped out of my trance. The various bleeps and whirrs from the surrounding arcade machines leaked into my ears, pulling me back into the present. Lewis was stood in front of me, gesturing to a row of unoccupied arcade machines.

“It’s your turn to pick and we’ve been stood here for like ten years, just pick one already!” He sighed.

I looked behind him at the machines. Raja’s Arcade was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon; odd groups of teenagers were clustered around the more popular recent releases, leaving Lewis and I to have the pick of our old favourites from when we came here as kids. I wandered up to my old favourite; _Duck Hunt_. Lewis hovered over me, offering shouts of encouragement as I shoved quarters in and started the game.

Lewis and I first met at the arcade as kids, when he saw me struggling to beat one of my high scores and he gave me advice. We eventually began to team up more often when we realised our parents often dropped us off and picked us up around the same time. As we got older and we gained more freedom over our transport methods, we made Saturday our day to indulge in our common interests, be it video games or movies. We met Bones at school a few years later, when our weekend ritual was in full swing. She joined in on most movie nights, but scoffed at our arcade trips and called us “ponstas.”

“Son of a _bitch_!” I cursed, smacking my hand down in defeat at the game over screen.

“Uh… wow. Your aim was worse than a stormtrooper’s.” Lewis’s voice was monotone as he mocked me. I turned and glared at him.

“I’m just saying! You didn’t even come close to your high score!” He continued, gesturing to the screen.

He was right. My initials – JOC – were ranked first on the leader board; my current score didn’t even make the top five.

“Just for that, I’m gonna put your initials,” I retorted. Lewis lunged at me with cries of protest.

“Jerk. Anyway, it’s my turn. I say we pay a visit to my beloved Princess Daphne,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “You mean waste all your quarters on your make-believe girlfriend? Okay, whatever,” I laughed. Lewis ignored me as we walked over to _Dragon’s Lair_ and he stuffed in his money.

Lewis’s focus on the game soon overtook our conversation, so my gaze wandered. The arcade was always hot, the machine’s fans and people’s bustling, excited chatter turning the place into a makeshift sauna, but today’s unexpected sunshine made it unbearable. Most people had abandoned their jackets on the coat hangers by the door and even Ed, who ran the place, had swapped his usual puffer vest jacket for a t-shirt. He was sat with his feet on the counter, leaning dangerously far back in his chair as he read a magazine, taking no interest in his surroundings as always.

I looked around further, my eyes landing on a solitary male figure in a corner.

He was facing away from me, but I could make out his dark brown hair and lean frame as he hunched over an arcade machine. He was also wearing a denim jacket which, as I stepped closer, I realised was frayed on the edges, as if it had been badly damaged.

“ _Shit_.”

Samuel Morgan had been plaguing my mind since I met him two days ago, and my intrigue only grew when I saw no sign of him at school yesterday. Bones and Lewis said they’d never heard of him, either. I concluded that he was some kind of lone wolf; maybe he’d left school early, got on the wrong side of the law by accident, and his disgraced parents had abandoned him. He was left to fend for himself, but still kept ties with his younger brother, who he held very close to his heart. I kept this theory to myself, telling Bones and Lewis that he was just someone my parents had heard about through a co-worker at the museum. I _definitely_ hadn’t told Mom and Dad about him, either; the last thing I wanted was Dad freaking out and putting bars on my window if I confessed the truth.

However, my theory was quickly decaying in my mind as I paced closer towards the guy in the corner. If it _was_ Sam, that’d mean I’d been conned out of a hundred dollars by a two-bit thief with a made-up sob story who wanted free funding for video gaming. My blood was beginning to boil at the thought.

“What’re you doing?” Lewis grabbed my arm from behind me. I turned to him with a blink.

“Uh… nothing,” I stammered, removing myself from his grasp.

I turned back around. The guy was heading to the exit. Without a second thought I made a break for it, chasing after him with Lewis not far behind me. I couldn’t let him get out of my sight.

I caught up to him and grabbed his sleeve.

“Hey!”

Reality caught up with me as the guy turned around. He was staring daggers at me as he yanked his arm away. It _wasn_ ’ _t_ Sam.

“The hell’s your problem, kid?” The guy snapped, towering over me.

“Shit… sorry, th-thought you were someone else,” I stammered in response, averting my eyes to the floor as heat rushed to my face.

“Yeah, well watch it.” He stormed away and out of the arcade.

“What was all that about?” Lewis asked me, touching my shoulder gently. I turned to face him, noticing that even Ed had peered over the top of his magazine to see what was going on. I scratched the back of my head, still looking at the floor.

“Josie?” Lewis spoke again, still concerned. I looked up at him.

“Can we go? I-I’ll tell you on the way back to your place,” I almost pleaded with him, embarrassment still festering in me.

Lewis nodded. We grabbed our jackets and scarpered out onto the streets before we arose any more suspicion.

We made our way into the nearby park, wandering in silence before settling on a bench. Families walking dogs and pushing strollers passed by frequently, drawn out by the warm weather. A few groups of people around our age bustled by in packs.

The sun was beating down on us as we sat in yet more silence. It felt like it was burning my already flushed cheeks. I leant forward, propping my elbows on my knees and resting my chin on my palms. Lewis copied me.

“So… you gonna tell me what happened back there? You’ve been acting weird since yesterday morning,” he began.

“Have _not_!” I scoffed, sitting back up and folding my arms defensively.

“Josie, I’ve known you for six years. I know when you’re being weird,” he replied. His eyebrows were raised so high that they disappeared underneath his fuzzy excuse of a fringe.

I scoffed again, but I knew he was right. I unfolded my arms and scratched the back of my head, peering up at the sky. I cleared my throat.

“You remember yesterday when I asked you and Bones if you knew that guy, Sam?”

Lewis tilted his head with a curious frown. “Yeah. The guy you said your parents knew, right?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Well, I don’t- he’s not actually someone that my parents know.”

Lewis’s frown deepened. “Oookay. Well, how _do_ you know him, then?”

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Lewis had a tendency to be neurotic, so I knew a freak out was incoming, but I owed him the truth.

“He… he was in my house not long after I got back from karate. I punched him in the face but he explained himself and it turns out he was just hiding and he needed money, so… I gave him some.”

I opened my eyes. Lewis’s jaw had hit the floor as he stared at me, dumbfounded.

“ _You did wha_ -”

“Shut your trap!” I hissed, sliding closer to him and preparing to cover his mouth with my hand. I snapped my head around, my heart racing, but no one was paying us any attention.

Lewis moved closer, lowering his voice. “Josie, you gave money to a _criminal_ who _broke into your house_? Are you a complete _marblehead_?!”

“He’s not a criminal!” I protested. Lewis glared at me.

“Okay, he is a _little_ ,” I admitted, hunching my shoulders. “But I don’t think it’s his fault! And he didn’t _break_ into my house, for the record. The window was open.”

“You’re _defending_ him?” He scoffed. I just shrugged my shoulders and looked away.

Lewis sprung to his feet, weaving his fingers into his hair and pacing. His way of processing. I left him to it for a few seconds, fiddling with the loose quarters in my jacket pocket. Eventually, he turned to me and nodded his head to his right. I stood up and we began making our way to the park’s exit.

“The guy you saw in the arcade,” he began as we walked. “You thought that was Sam?”

“Yeah. I thought he’d spent the money I gave him in the arcade and I was pissed, ya know?”

Lewis pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Why _did_ you give him money, exactly?”

“He said he has a little brother. Guess he looks out for him or something,” I replied.

The air was suddenly filled with piercing laughter. I looked at Lewis in surprise as he grinned at me, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“And you _bought_ it? Jesus Christ Josie, you do realise he probably duped you?” He shook his head at me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my mind halted. The thought had never even occurred to me, but Lewis could be right. I chewed my lip and frowned at the sidewalk, feeling my heart sinking as I trudged along, slower than before.

“I don’t think he was lying, Lewis,” I mumbled, determined to hold onto my optimism.

We stopped to cross the road. Lewis remained silent, but I could feel his gaze on me.

“You’re being gullible,” he said. I felt a sting in my chest at his words, worrying that he was right, but I wasn’t going to back down yet.

“Look, I _know_ I sound nuts, but trust me. He looked…” I trailed off, picturing Sam’s worried expression in my head. He was on edge almost the entire time we were talking; the _least_ I wanted to do was find out if he was okay.

“Oh boy. Please don’t tell me you’re getting the hots for the guy who broke into your house.”

“No!” I protested, frowning at Lewis’s unamused smirk and elbowing him in the ribs. “Look, I’m just worried about him, I-I think he was telling the truth. And I keep saying, he didn’t _break_ into my house.”

“Still can’t believe you’re _actually_ defending him.”

“Shut _up_ , Einstein.”

Lewis gasped in mock offence, casting me a sassy look. I stuffed my hands further into my pockets, ignoring him.

We picked up our pace when we neared Lewis’s house. It was unmissable due to the bright yellow mailbox by their front porch, which read ‘Pemberton’ in wonkily painted black letters on the side. It was a summer project that Lewis had done to please his mom many years ago, and she insisted on keeping it that way ever since.

Lewis walked ahead and leant against the mailbox, turning back to face me. His eyes were still cautious, but he shot me a soft smile, which I reluctantly returned. He heaved a sigh through his nostrils, contemplating his words.

“All right, I can see you’re not gonna budge on this,” he said. “So what, you’re just gonna keep looking out for him?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s the best I can do.”

Lewis sighed again. “I still think you’re being naïve, but… I guess it’s harmless.” He smiled at me, and I perked up, smiling back fully.

“Anyway, Ma’s making tacos for dinner. You want in?”

“Absolutely.”

 

**Several days later…**

**Thursday 10 th March, 1988**

Naturally, Lewis and I had to tell Bones the truth about what happened when we were on our way to school on Monday morning. She was initially upset with me for not telling her the truth, but took the news in a far more positive manner than Lewis did. She declared herself a lookout for Sam, and asked if he’d be able to teach us how to climb up to a first-story window.

“That is pretty fucking badass, you gotta admit,” she enthused.

I laughed along with her as Lewis shook his head, but my stomach was gradually filling with knots. I barely knew anything about Sam apart from his name; I had no idea where to even start looking for him, or if he’d even want to see me. After all, I was just some girl who he’d met for five minutes when he was trying to escape the heat. _And_ I’d punched him in the face.

My hope continued to dwindle throughout the week, plummeting to an all-time low when I arrived home from karate on Thursday. I chatted with Mom and Dad as I ate my dinner, trying to dodge Dad’s questions about college and whether or not I’d considered Harvard again. I retired to my room early to get a head start on homework and avoid further scrutiny.

“Don’t stay up too late now!” Mom called after me as I ascended the stairs.

 

I settled myself at my desk, beginning to scribble away for my history assignment. An essay on the events leading up to the civil war. Not my favourite topic, but one that everyone was required to study. I couldn't wait to move onto something else, but for now, it had to be done.

I was halfway finished when a soft knock at my window startled me. I jumped out of my seat and peered out. I could hardly believe what I saw.

Sam was leaning on my window ledge with one arm, his other hooked onto the drainpipe. He shot me a small, strained smile and gestured for me to open the window.

“Sam?!” I whispered in disbelief as he hoisted himself inside with groans of effort. I flicked my head between him and my bedroom door, praying Mom and Dad wouldn't hear the commotion. My heart was beginning to flutter with excitement as he stood up and dusted himself off. His eyes met mine, and I returned his smile.

_Take that_ , _Lewis_ , I thought triumphantly.

“Uh… hi, Josie,” Sam began, scratching the back of his head and shifting in his spot.

_Woah_. _He remembered my name_.

“Um… hey,” I replied, still unsure of what to make of this situation.

We stood in silence for a few seconds, an aura of uncertainty filling the room. A million questions were racing around in my mind, but I kept my attention mostly on my bedroom door, paranoid that we'd be caught. Sam noticed.

“We're not alone this time, huh?” He asked in a quiet voice.

“Nope,” I shook my head. I had no idea how to phrase the questions I'd been preparing over the last week. My brain was still getting over the fact that he’d actually come back.

“Oh, here,” Sam swung his backpack off of his shoulders. He reached into one of the pockets and fished out a small wad of notes, standing up and holding it out to me.

“I... didn't need to use all of it. I wanted to give you some back. Thanks again, really.”

“No no, keep it, please,” I insisted, pushing his hand away. He looked at me with a surprised frown.

“I didn't give it you just for you to give it back again, Sam,” I insisted.

His eyes widened in surprise, and a hint of red appeared on his cheekbones. I also noticed the bruise I’d left on his face; it was small and yellowing around the edges. Ouch.

Sam put the money in his back pocket and paced forward a little, avoiding my curious gaze and looking around my room.

“You remembered my name,” he stated in a soft voice. It was my turn to blush as he turned back to look at me.

“You remembered mine,” I laughed a little, clearing my throat. “Sorry ‘bout the bruise, by the way,” I mumbled.

“Oh, this old thing?” He pointed to his face with a smirk. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve had way worse. Good punch, though,” he laughed.

“Anyway, uh... why did you come back?” I asked, shaking off his compliment. “You could've just taken the money and never looked back."

Sam’s light-hearted expression faded. He hesitated, scratching his head again. “I, uh... I dunno. It just... felt right.”

His answer was sincerely vulnerable, and not what I expected at all. In that moment, all the worries and doubts I'd allowed to build up over the past week came crumbling down as he shuffled from foot to foot in front of me. Even though he stole to survive and scaled buildings as if it was the most normal thing in the world, he looked nervous as he stood observing my posters with his hands in his pockets. He seemed entirely out of place.

A warmth filled my chest. “Well, whatever. I'm glad you came back.”

Sam snapped his head back to me with a surprised blink, trying to figure out if I was telling truth. He relaxed when I smiled at him again, his stiff posture letting go of all the tension and worries he seemed used to holding onto.

“Thanks,” he murmured. He paced closer to the posters on my wall. He tilted his head in their direction, his eyes never leaving mine.

“You like travelling?” He asked.

“Yeah, love it!” I enthused, panicking as my voice raised. I flinched and turned to the door.

Sam chuckled at me and sat down in my desk chair. “Jeez, you’re paranoid. Got a guard dog or something?”

“No, but my parents won’t exactly approve of me having a strange boy in my room at night time,” I replied. I backed away from the door when there was no noise on the other side, moving to sit cross legged on my bed.

“You think I’m strange? Ouch, Josie, I’m hurt,” Sam jested, grinning at me.

“You know what I meant,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

Sam cast his gaze to my desk, picking up my history assignment and peering at the relevant textbooks I had piled up at the far end of the desk. His eyes lit up with a glimmer.

“You like history?”

“Yep. My parents work at the Peabody. Was kinda born into it.”

That statement caught his attention more than anything else I’d said so far. His face lit up in awe.

“No way, really? That’s crazy. My mom, she, ah, she was a historian,” he rambled, leaning forward in his seat. “She was more about exploring than preserving though. Loved adventuring.”

“I get that,” I nodded, electing not to push the subject on his use of past tense. “Museums are wicked, but Mom used to give tours in Cairo and she said it was tonnes of fun. I’d love something like that,” I sighed wistfully, my gaze wandering to the window. It was getting late, but I didn’t want to sleep just yet.

Sam hummed in response. We carried on talking for what felt like hours, stopping to glance at the bedroom door every now and again. His passion for history seemed to match mine, so we kept the conversation there. He never laughed as I recounted the stories of lost Egyptian treasure that Mom had told me, which was a welcome surprise; I learned to keep those stories to myself for fear of ridicule. Sam began to mention wanting to complete his mom’s work on finding ancient lost treasures and cities but he trailed off, his lips forming a tight line. Another silence settled over us. Despite the tense turn of topic, it was oddly comfortable considering how little time we’d spent with each other.

Lewis’s doubts about the existence of Sam’s little brother crossed my mind, making knots return to my stomach. I decided to change the subject and test the waters.

“How’s your little brother doing?”

Sam’s expression softened, a warm smile creeping onto his face.

“Nathan? He’s alright, outta town at the minute. Got another bible camp.”

“Yikes, religious family?”

Sam’s smile faltered again, making me immediately regret my words. He shot out of his seat, grabbing his backpack from the floor and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Somethin’ like that,” he replied, turning his head to the window. I stood up as he opened the window, fiddling with my hands as I approached him.

“Anyway, looks like it’s gettin’ late,” he declared, hauling himself out of the window.

“Yeah,” I replied, watching him. I was mentally kicking myself for mentioning family so carelessly; it seemed to have scared him off.

“All right, well… goodnight, Josie. It was great seeing you again.”

“Yeah… you too, Sam.” I mustered a small smile for him, not meeting his gaze. His head disappeared from the window followed by noises of exertion. The gentle breeze stopped flowing into the room.

I sighed and turned away, running my hands down my face. He’d gone from comfortable and passionate to fleeing within a couple of minutes. Okay, _that_ was probably the last time I’d see him.

Or so I thought. I heard my window slide open again. I turned around to see Sam leaning his head into my room once more.

“By the way,” he panted, “which school you at?”

I blinked in surprise at his unusual question. “East Boston high. Why?”

He smirked at me. “All right, well, let’s just say don’t be late out tomorrow or I’m ditchin’ ya.” He closed the window and disappeared again.

My heart soared, although my mind was racing with thoughts about whatever the hell that meant.

 

**Friday 11 th March, 1988**

 

My mind was on overdrive all day, making me fidget in my seat and glance at the clock every five minutes in class. I tried my best to concentrate, but I was eager to find out what Sam's words last night meant. Bones and Lewis noticed my perky mood as well, and wasted no time in asking what was going on.

“I keep telling you, you'll see after school,” I grinned as we sat together in study hall. Bones whined in annoyance as Lewis tried to ignore us by burying his head in his chemistry textbook.

When the bell rang for the end of the day, the three of us couldn't get outside soon enough. Unfortunately, since it was Friday, neither could everyone else. We shuffled out with the throngs of other people, trying to stick together.

“Okay, so, will you finally tell us what the big deal is?” Bones asked, her eyes wide in eagerness.

I couldn't contain my excitement any longer. I explained to them everything that happened last night, including Sam’s words that hadn’t left my mind. Bones whooped in triumph, and even Lewis looked surprised underneath his suspicion.

“Well that explains why you looked like shit this morning, you were up all night,” he scoffed.

“Hey!” I protested, elbowing him in the side. “Just accept you were wrong, and enjoy the moment.”

We made it outside. The sun almost blinded us, and the breeze from last week had disappeared, leaving the air feeling warm with the beginnings of spring. Excited chatter still filled the air, but the crowds began to dissipate, allowing us to see ahead much easier than before.

“So... did he say where he'd be?” Bones asked.

“No, he just said not to be late out,” I replied.

We carried on walking. My stomach was doing flips in excitement, but doubt still lingered in the back of my mind. What if he didn't show up?

Lewis cleared his throat as we began to descend the steps. “I'm sure he'll-”

He was cut off as a tall figure, clad in denim, shoved him out of the way. An arm draped over my shoulders and I looked up in disgust at none other than Todd Butcher's shit-eating grin.

“Hey, Josie,” he began. “So what you up to this weekend? I was thinkin' it was about time you and I went on a date, or I could drop by your place and we can cut right to the good stuff,” he cocked an eyebrow at me.

“Get the _hell_ off me, jackass!” I spat back, hurling his arm off my shoulder. Todd stumbled back, surprised by my actions. It seemed I’d gained a little more bravery over the last week.

Lewis was stood to one side adjusting his shirt, so I grabbed him and we walked away, Bones hurling obscenities back at Todd with middle fingers raised. Todd merely brushed off his shock and laughed at us, re-joining his denim clones at the top of the steps.

I pushed down my anger and focussed on finding Sam as we continued down the steps. I peered over the heads of people still leaving school, looking for any sign of him.

Then, I saw it.

“Woah, nice ride man!” Came a call.

“Who is _he_?” Another voice asked.

Sam was stood with his arms folded, leaning casually against a faded red motorbike. His expression lit up when he saw me. I dashed towards him, Bones and Lewis right behind me.

“Sam! Hey!” I greeted him, my eyes flitting between him and the bike. That explained his quick getaways and constantly windswept hair.

“Hey, you made it!” He replied. He stood up straight and moved almost as if to hug me, but he stopped when he saw Bones and Lewis, both of whom were stood at my side looking speechless.

“You’re Sam?” Asked Lewis.

“The one and only,” he shrugged. He was taller than Lewis, but that didn’t stop him from looking uncertain.

“I’m Bridget, but you can call me Bones,” Bones jumped forward to greet him, grabbing one of his hands and shaking it. Sam looked surprised, but smiled nonetheless.

His eyes shot back to me again as I stepped forward, looking in fascination at his motorbike.

“You like it? It’s a little rusty.”

“Yeah, it’s wicked cool,” I enthused. Sam chuckled in response, moving round to the left of it and placing his hands on the handlebars.

“Well it was great meeting you two, but if you don’t mind, I’m gonna steal Josie for a few hours,” Sam declared, seating himself on the bike. He looked at me with an expectant grin.

“Oh, no, not at all,” Bones replied. “We can walk home on our own, right Lewis?” She turned to Lewis expectantly. I could tell he was still sceptical, but he was much more relaxed after seeing for himself that Sam was harmless. His shoulders dropped and he nodded, smiling back at Bones.

My throat clenched. I’d never been on a motorbike before, and they didn’t look like the epitome of safety.

“You want me on _that_?”

“Yeah, c’mon! I promise it’ll be fun,” Sam replied, shooting me a reassuring smile.

I looked around. Bones was nodding encouragingly, and odd groups of other people were clustered together, staring at us, at _me_ , watching for what was going to happen next.

“Go _on_ , Josie,” Bones groaned, pushing me forward. “You can just tell your parents you were at mine, I’ll cover you.”

I took a deep breath, chewing my lip and moving to the left side of the bike. I flinched a little as the engine rumbled to life. I felt as if the entire population of Boston was staring at me, making my cheeks flush.

I placed my foot on the back foot peg and put one hand on Sam’s shoulder, hoisting my other leg over.

Bones and Lewis called their goodbyes and began to walk home, leaving just Sam and I and our adoring crowd.

“You ready?” Sam glanced over his shoulder at me.

“Uh… sure.”

“All right, well, hold on.”

I fastened my hands around his waist in an instant. It occurred to me that neither of us were wearing helmets. He’d better know what he was doing.

I looked back up at the school. I noticed Todd was still stood at the top of his steps; he and his entire gang were staring at us. Todd in particular had an especially vicious look in his eyes.

Before I could even gloat to myself, their figures became a blur as the roaring of the motorbike ripped through my ears and we were on the move. I squealed and clung to Sam like there was no tomorrow.

I stayed like that for several minutes, refusing to move my cheek from Sam’s shoulder. The wind whipped my hair into my face, obscuring my vision, so I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Just relax and look forward!” Sam shouted to me.

Every inch of my body was crying to remain where I was, but it was growing increasingly uncomfortable as we began to turn corners. I held my breath and faced forward at long last. My hair swept behind me as I opened my eyes.

Tears streamed across my face as the wind hit me full force. It was cold, but exhilarating. I glanced around me, watching as buildings, pedestrians, and cars flew by us, only to be greeted with more on the horizon as we sped forward. I found myself grinning, barely resisting the temptation to whoop in excitement as we crossed Chelsea Creek. Sam glanced over his shoulder every now and again, wind coursing through his hair, clearly enjoying my reaction.

Minutes later, we slowed to a halt at the edge of Mary O’Malley Park. Sam stepped off the bike and held a hand out to me. I took it, realising that I was trembling from the adrenaline coursing through me. I shuddered at the sudden warmth of his hand; the wind during the bike ride had chilled my skin more than I initially realised.

“That was… wow,” I breathed, stepping off the bike. Sam grinned back at me, sweeping his spare hand through his hair, which had clumped in backward tufts.

“Why’re we at O’Malley?” I questioned, looking around. The park was quiet, and green was finally starting to emerge on the trees close to the waterfront.

“It’s a nice view. You like it?” Sam asked, tilting his head with a soft smile.

“Yeah, not been here in years,” I replied, tousling knots out of my hair.

Sam nodded his head behind him and dug his hands into the pockets of his battered jacket.

“C’mon, it’s better on the waterfront,” he said, pacing away towards the grass. I followed him.

We leant against the railings on the docks, looking out towards the water. The Tobin Bridge towered over the river in the distance, the cars zooming back and forth on it seeming minuscule from our viewpoint. The sun shone behind us, warming our backs and catching glimmers on the water that lapped at the wooden docks beneath our feet.

My mind was still whirring down from the thrill of being on a motorbike for the first time, but I still wasn’t entirely sure why we were here. We were alone and we could talk, sure, but he could do that by sneaking back into my room if he really wanted.

“So… this where you take all the girls?” I teased.

“Only the ones that punch me in the face,” Sam replied, making me laugh.

More silence settled between us. My thoughts flicked back to last night, to Sam’s reaction when I asked him about his family, and guilt pooled into my stomach. Just as I was about to break the silence with an apology, he exhaled a laugh through his nose with a gentle smile, turning his head towards me.

“I gotta say, I wasn’t expectin’ an audience back there.”

I stared at him blankly for a second before ducking my head with a smile. “Oh, sorry about that. Bones and Lewis-well, mainly Lewis,” I looked up again, rolling my eyes, “wanted to check that you were actually real.”

Sam laughed heartily, his face scrunching in delight. I laughed with him, stopping when he stepped away from the railings and faced me fully.

“Well, am I real enough for everyone now?” He asked, shrugging his shoulders, but he was still smirking.

I decided to tease him again. I hummed and travelled my gaze up and down, noticing his jeans and sneakers were even more battered than his jacket. I landed a soft punch on his left arm, much to his protest.

“Yep, definitely real,” I grinned. Sam’s smile widened back at me as we laughed at each other. We moved from our spot and continued walking around the docks, admiring the city in the distance. It still amazed me how comfortable we felt with each other despite only having met for the third time now.

“Where’d you learn to punch like that?” Sam asked me suddenly.

“Karate.”

“You do karate? Holy shit, that’s wicked!” He enthused, eyebrows shooting up. “You gotta teach me sometime,” he insisted.

As we made our way back onto the grass, I spotted Sam’s motorbike not far behind us, and an idea popped into my head.

“Only if you’ll teach me how to ride a motorbike,” I challenged.

Sam’s grin lowered into a smirk, the sun catching his face and highlighting the green in his eyes.

“All right.” He held his hand out to me. “You got yourself a deal, sweetheart.”

I stopped, my eyes flitting between his expectant gaze and his outstretched hand. “A-are you serious?” I asked. My stomach fluttered; I hadn’t _actually_ expected him to take up my offer.

“Are _you_?” He asked in a sassy tone. “Don’t chicken out on me, Josie.”

I scoffed and grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly. He chuckled at me and we continued walking.

“You’re a real troublemaker, you know that?”

“Eh, been called worse,” Sam stretched his arms behind him. I shook my head at him.

We spent what felt like hours wandering up and down the park, talking about anything and everything that came to our minds. He laughed at my retellings of mine and Lewis’s arcade escapades, and shared his own stories of some of the nights he spent climbing rooftops, laying quietly and listening to the traffic or watching the stars. He continued to exclude the mention of parental figures in his life, but his eyes sparkled when he talked about his little brother, Nathan.

“He’s… he’s a good kid. I gotta look after him, ya know?” There was a hint of sadness in his voice as we approached his bike again as the sky was threatening to darken. He seated himself on the bike and took hold of the handles, motioning for me to follow.

“Love you to meet him one day. If you wanted, that is,” he added as I secured my hands around his waist.

“I’d love that,” I replied, smiling at him. His face was partially obscured by his shoulders, but I saw him flash a grin that reached his eyes, making my heart flutter in happiness.

Sam started the engine, its roaring filling the air. The wind picked up and coursed through my hair again as we set off, leaving the tranquillity of the park behind us.

We arrived on my street about fifteen minutes later. Sam pulled up to the curb and slammed the breaks on unexpectedly, making me squeal and bump against him. He laughed at me as I stepped onto the sidewalk, glaring at him and rubbing my nose where it had made contact with his back.

“Asshole,” I cursed, but I couldn’t hide my smile.

“Gotta keep you on your toes if you wanna learn to ride a bike, sweetheart,” Sam replied, matching my grin.

“Get outta here, before I hit you again,” I laughed.

Silence again. I looked down at my feet, clasping my hands together in front of me. Sam didn’t move a muscle.

“So… I’ll see you next week, yeah?” He asked, looking at me with a softened expression. He was chewing the inside of his bottom lip, although he was trying his best to hide it.

“Same place?” I asked, my heart soaring.

“Same place,” Sam nodded, his face dropping into a relaxed, lopsided smile.

I paced away, neither of us breaking eye contact for several seconds until I finally turned around on the approach to my house. I heard Sam’s bike come back to life and take off, echoing in the distance as he zoomed away.


	4. Samuel Morgan, Orphan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josie uncovers more about Sam's past.

Warnings: cursing, suicide mention.

* * *

 

**Monday 28 th March, 1988**

Days became weeks, and Sam and I only continued to become closer and closer as he picked me up on his bike after school several times a week. I taught him how to hold people in a chokehold after he kept begging me to, and he eventually followed up on his end of the deal and showed me the basics of riding a motorbike in an empty parking lot. Needless to say, I’d need a lot of practice before I was any good, but it felt exhilarating to be able to control something so fast, so powerful… even if Sam’s hands didn’t leave mine as he walked alongside me and I slogged the bike along the concrete. I nearly veered off course into a lamppost on more than one occasion when he tried to let go.

“How about we do something a _little_ less… catastrophic?” Sam eventually offered with a laugh, holding me steady as I attempted to leap off of the death trap.

“Uh… all right,” I agreed, laughing with him a little. I felt myself blushing as I glanced down at his hand on my waist. Sam cleared his throat and moved to turn off the engine, avoiding my eyes. My side felt like it was burning from where his touch had been.

That marked the end of our motorbike lessons for now, but the adventures were far from over. Sam’s idea of “less dangerous” meant showing me his other favourite means of transport; scaling rooftops. My first few leaps resulted in several bruises and scrapes that I dismissed as karate injuries to my parents, but the end result was always worth it. Sam and I spent what felt like hours sat on the rooftops of nameless buildings, talking and laughing together. Once or twice, as we watched the sun illuminate the water in a bright shade of orange as it began to set, I caught him staring at me out of the corner of my eye, only for him to turn away with a casual tousle of his hair when I turned to him. I tried not to linger on it, hugging my knees closer to me and continuing to watch the sky darken.

Bones and Lewis were my trusty confidants for mine and Sam’s escapades. Lewis shook his head time and time again as I rambled about our antics as we prepared to watch _Indiana Jones_ for the hundredth time one Saturday afternoon, but even he couldn’t hide his grin as Bones whooped in delight, eyebrows raised.

 

It was the start of a new week, and the end of the school day rolled round once more. I felt my stomach filling with giddy butterflies as I bounced through the hall, Bones and Lewis by my side all the way.

“I’ve never seen you more excited to leave history class,” Lewis joked.

“Sometimes it’s just nice to get out in the fresh air and be adventurous, ya know?”

“Helps when your boyfriend’s got a motorbike to come pick you up,” Bones added, nudging me in the ribs.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“You could fool me, the amount you talk about him. Not that I’m complaining, just saying.” Bones shrugged. I grinned and sighed, not taking her bait.

We walked down the steps and, sure enough, Sam was stood waiting for me, leaning against his bike as casually as ever. Our eyes locked, matching grins appearing on our faces. The butterflies dancing inside me tripled in intensity in anticipation of hanging with him again.

Bones switched to walk next to Lewis, waving to Sam. He waved back, but his expression faltered midway as a confused frown appeared on his face. I didn’t even need to turn around before the reason called to me from close by.

“Hey Josie, I’ve got some _top_ - _secret_ intel for you.”

Todd Butcher was bounding up to my side, the rest of his gang in tow, all of them sporting the same obnoxious smirks with the odd jeer here and there. I grumbled in annoyance and kept walking. I thought Todd had settled for glowering at me from afar ever since he’d seen me hanging out with Sam, but there was a renewed energy to his stride today as he walked faster; he seemed determined to keep up with my pace and give away this so-called “intel”.

“Not interested, Todd,” I replied, tossing my hair over my shoulder. I neared the end of the steps, looking up and meeting Sam’s eyes once more.

“Oh, trust me, this is really important.” Todd was insistent and he yanked my shoulder.

Blood boiling, I turned to scowl at him, no longer phased by his pathetic antics.

“I _said_ , I’m not interested, asshole!”

Todd’s eyes darkened, his smirk turning into a deep, settled frown. He froze in his spot but continued to glare at me as I walked away. Bones was yelling words of encouragement, causing a few curious heads to turn our way.

“Hey!” I greeted Sam. He opened his arms and I threw myself into them, letting the security of his grasp melt away my anger. Over his shoulder, Bones and Lewis shouted goodbyes, both of them puckering their lips and making kissing noises. I shot a middle finger in their direction before letting go of Sam.

“You ready?”

“As always!”

I seated myself behind Sam and secured my hands around his waist; it was like clockwork by now. I shot one final goodbye wave to Bones and Lewis, who were stood on the far sidewalk.

Sam started the engine so I turned my head forward, but a quick movement in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I turned my head back towards the school.

Todd was storming up towards us, the rest of his friends in a loose gathering around him. The venomous stare seemed to have been soldered onto his face. Sam paid him no mind, but he must have felt my grip on him tighten in slight fear, as he reached down to put a hand over mine.

I glared at Todd, doing my best to supress my fear. He wasn’t going to try anything in front of all these people, was he?

Then, he spoke. His words were calculated, cutting, and completely unexpected.

“You _know_ he’s an orphan freak, _right_?”

The rage dissipated from his eyes, only to be replaced by that cocky smirk once more as he joined in the bellowing laughter of his friends.

I gasped, heart pounding. I felt Sam’s body tense underneath me.

“Sam?” I whispered, turning my head towards him. I felt as if all the air had been knocked out of me, my stomach churning.

His head was slumped, refusing to acknowledge me. When he raised it, he revved the engine and we sped off. Even as the wind roared in my ears, I could still hear the echo of laughter.

We drove and drove and drove. My mind was racing as fast as the bike as I contemplated Todd’s words. Was he telling the truth? How would he even _know_ that about Sam? He didn’t go to our school. He didn’t seem to know _anyone_ that I knew; it made no sense.

We eventually shuddered to a halt on Washington Street, in front of the cathedral. I barely had any time to admire the sun shining through its magnificent windows before Sam jumped off the bike, storming away with his head still low.

“Sam, wait!” I called after him, hopping off the bike.

Sam didn’t utter a word, but his stance softened as he glanced back at me, gesturing to follow him up a ladder on the side of a nearby building.

I was still burning with a million questions as we ascended. Once we reached the top, Sam turned to face me fully. He looked ashamed, refusing to meet my gaze again.

“Sam, was he… was he telling the truth?”

He ignored my question, clearing his throat with a false smile.

“C’mon, we’ve got some climbin’ to do.”

In a flash he had jumped from the building with a yell, grabbing onto a drainpipe on the side of the cathedral. He dared a glance back at me.

“C’mon Josie, don’t leave me hangin’!” He joked, shuffling his way up the pipe to a window ledge.

I let out a frustrated huff, leaping for the drainpipe to follow him. My guts were in knots as I clawed my way up to meet him. Sam was now laid on the flat of the roof, holding an arm out to me. Whatever he was hiding, I’d coax it out of him, as soon as I was on solid ground once more.

_Don_ ’ _t look down_ , I reminded myself, muscles burning from the effort. I shuffled onto a window ledge and jumped up, Sam catching my forearm in his grasp and hoisting me up.

“You’re gettin’ real good at this,” he said, dusting off my shoulders.

“Sam…” I began to broach the subject again, but my words were met by a brick wall as Sam turned away, pacing to the edge of the building and gazing over the skyline, hands on his hips.

“Great view, huh?” He asked, turning to me expectantly as I followed to stand next to him.

“Sam-”

“You can probably see your house from here-”

“ _Sam_!”

He jumped at my sudden explosion, eyes wide and mouth snapping shut. I sat down, dangling my feet over the edge of the building. Sam copied me, a shameful look returning to his eyes.

I sighed and looked forward as a gentle breeze swept my hair back. He was right; I probably _could_ see my house from here, but I wasn’t going to let that distract me from the questions I had racing through my mind.

“What Todd said back there…” I began, swallowing my nerves. “Was it true?”

Sam laughed, but it sounded empty. He brought his legs up and crossed them underneath him.

“It’s really not a big deal.” His eyes flicked to mine, then down to his lap.

“So it _was_ true?”

Sam sighed, tousling his hair. “Like I said, not a big deal. Really,” he tried to convince me, but his eyes were now fixed on the ground.

I frowned, concern growing in my mind. I reached out gingerly, placing a hand over one of his. He looked at me in surprise, and all his defences seemed to crumble.

“If it’s not a big deal, then why are we sitting on top of the cathedral Todd’s mom works at?”

Sam pressed his lips together as he stared back at me, unmoving, for several seconds.

“You got me there, sweetheart.” He huffed a laugh from his nostrils.

I waited as he gathered his thoughts. I was about to retract my hand when he latched onto it suddenly, threading his fingers through mine.

“This, ah… this is where Nathan and I used to come. Nathan still does… the nuns take him with the other kids every Sunday. Todd and his brothers, they used to come to the service too, guess their mom made ‘em. Must’ve recognised me as one of the… orphan kids.”

I nodded, encouraging him to continue. He cleared his throat, a scowl forming on his face.

“He’s a fucking asshole.”

My eyes went wide, surprised at the pure venom in his voice. I shuffled closer to him, still listening.

“He used to say the nastiest shit to the younger kids when his mom wasn’t looking. Told them their mom and dad didn’t love them, they were rotting in hell. Nearly punched him a few times, if the nuns hadn’t dragged me out by the ear,” he laughed a little as he recalled the memory, but his frown quickly returned.

“You don’t need to tell _me_ what an asshole he is, I know enough from seeing him at school,” I added.

“Seems he hasn’t changed much,” Sam snorted, his thumb tracing absentminded patterns on my hand. It made my heart flutter, bringing a sense of closeness between us amidst the tender conversation topic. I shuffled closer still, feeling dots connecting in my mind as we sat mere inches apart. Now it made sense why curfew was never a problem for him. But there were still some questions lingering in the air, questions I found difficult to ignore.

“What… what happened to your parents?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.

Sam remained silent for a few seconds before he looked out to the horizon again. His other hand was fiddling with something to his side.

“My mom was a historian, right? She loved it. I loved it, too. She’d spend a few weeks away somewhere, and come back and tell me all about everything she saw. Dad never approved, said I was too young to understand so what was the point. They always argued about it, but it didn’t stop her. She started telling Nathan too. Even before he could walk, she’d tell him all about pirates and their treasure, how she was gonna find it one day,” Sam explained, his gaze still unwavering.

“Well… one day, she’d come back from another job. Her and Dad got into a really big fight. Worse than the last few. After that, she was… different. She didn’t go on any more adventures. She didn’t really go _anywhere_. See anyone that wasn’t family. I remember she spent a lot of time staring out of windows.” Sam’s gaze was gradually lowering, his voice growing feeble towards the end of his sentence. I stayed quiet, still holding his hand.

“Then one day… she was gone. Nathan was still tiny. But that didn’t stop Dad from dumping us in the first orphanage he saw and never looking back.” His voice was filled with hate as he snapped his head up and hurled a rock into the distance. We watched it plummet to the sidewalk below with an inaudible clatter.

My mouth was dry, words escaping me. I almost regretted ever getting him to open up from how distraught he was, nibbling his lip and staring at the ground. My heart ached for him.

“Sam, I’m… so sorry.” It felt like such a useless and empty phrase, but I convinced myself it was better than nothing.

“S’alright. I got Nathan, he’s got me. Orphanage kicked me out but at least I don’t have to go to church every Sunday now,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood, but his eyes were watering.

The reality of what he said weighed down on me and I clenched his hand harder.

“You’re _homeless_?”  
“Nah, I got taken in by a shelter. And I got jobs, enough to keep me afloat. Don’t worry about it, it’s not a big-”

I hoisted my legs from off the side of the building and knelt next to him, almost knocking him over as I wrapped my arms around his form.

“Don’t say it’s not a big deal. It is to me. You matter to me,” I murmured into his ear.

He was quiet for a few seconds and it dawned on me that this was the closest I’d ever been to him, minus being on the back of his bike. I nearly pulled away out of embarrassment, until I felt his hands settle onto my back, followed by a quiet sniffle.

“Thanks.”

I pulled away, placing one hand on the side of his face. He smiled at me despite the tears staining his face, and I swiped my thumbs over them, carrying them away. He seemed grateful, his eyes shining with more than lingering sadness. I smiled back at him, feeling heat creep back to my face. It wasn’t from embarrassment from how close we were; that feeling had surpassed as quickly as it came. It was a mixture of shyness, and something I couldn’t quite describe that made my stomach flutter. Sam must’ve felt it too, because a similar shade of pink was working its way onto his cheekbones.

“Y’know, you’re the only person who didn’t immediately chew me out when you first met me. And you had every right to, given the circumstances,” he confessed as I settled myself beside him again.

“Well, I _did_ punch you,” I countered, trying to ignore the breeze that was suddenly feeling rather hot on my skin.

“Okay, _after_ that,” he chuckled. He ghosted his hand over to mine and interlaced our fingers again.

“Guess what I’m trying to say is, thank you.”

I smiled at him, praying that he couldn’t feel my pulse hammering against his hand.

“No need to thank me.”

He squeezed my hand tighter.

 

**The next day…**

**Tuesday 29 th March, 1988**

 

“ _Suicide_? Jesus, poor kid.”

“ _Kids_ ,” I corrected. “His little brother is still in the orphanage.”

Bones and I were sat in her room, ploughing through homework. I was sprawled on the floor and Bones was cross legged on her bed, her ginger locks obscuring her face as she leant over her textbooks. We remained silent for a few minutes, the only sound coming from our pens scratching away on paper.

“Have you met him?” Bones asked suddenly.

“Nathan? Not yet. Told Sam I’d love to though, sometime soon.”

“Sounds like you’re gettin’ serious.” Bones lifted her head to grin at me.

“Keep telling you, he’s _not_ my boyfriend.”

“And _I_ keep telling you, there’s literally no reason he shouldn’t be!” Bones put her pen down and crawled to the edge of her bed, leaning dangerously close to the edge to get a full view of my unimpressed glare back at her.

“Girl, come on. We’ve seen the way he looks at you when he picks you up after school. You never stop talking about him-”

“Because you _ask_!” I defended, feeling my cheeks redden.

“Regardless, you just have _so_ much in common! His mom was, what, a historian? Josie, that’s _wicked_. At least now you can have _actual_ discussions with a guy.”

I scoffed. “And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?” I asked, despite knowing exactly what she meant.

“Oh come on. That Corey guy you dated last year for like, two months? His brain was oozing out of his ears. _And_ he forgot your Valentine’s Day date.”

“Yeah, which is why I ditched him the week after,” I reminded her, shuddering at the thought.

“Two months too late, if you ask me,” Bones laughed. I cringed and she straightened up, the smile dropping from her face.

“Sorry. But for real, I think you should give Sam a chance. If it starts feeling right, don’t shrug it off. He makes you happy, just remember that,” she spoke softly, each word purposeful and genuine.

“Well _thanks,_ Miss _never-had-a-boyfriend_ ,” I sassed her with an unimpressed look.

She hurled a pillow at my face.

“Coaches don’t play, jackass,” she declared. I grumbled and leapt at her, pillow in one hand, to exact my revenge. Bones shrieked in laughter, covering her face as I slammed the pillow down.

“So much for homework, I see?” Came the voice of Irene, Bones’s mom, from the doorway. We both froze and looked up.

“We’re nearly done, Mom,” Bones replied, sitting up straight.

“Good!” Irene sang, her eyes lighting up behind her ginormous glasses. She was a firm woman who expected a lot from her children, but she was kind and sweet, and had an intimidating ability to switch from one demeanour to the other in a matter of seconds.

“Dinner’s nearly ready, you’d best come down.”

Bones nodded and we packed away our schoolbooks, making for the stairs once Irene had left. She nudged my shoulder as we descended, murmuring into my ear with a mischievous chuckle.

“Game’s not up yet, we’ll talk more about your lover boy after dinner.”

 

I headed home a couple of hours later, opting to take my leave when Bones was on the verge of yet another fight with her older sister over who used up the last of the hairspray. Dad greeted me from his place in front of the television when I walked in.

“You and Bridget get all your work done?” He asked, turning his head towards me.

“Yep.” I noticed Mom was absent from her usual spot in the armchair. “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s getting some books out of storage boxes in the closet. Go say hi to her.”

I walked into the hall and, sure enough, the closet door was wide open. Mom was inside, peering up at a variety of labelled boxes on the top shelf. A small step ladder was open in front of her, and she had one foot placed on it.

“Hey Mom!”

“Habibti!” She exclaimed, shooting me a sparkling smile. “Just the girl I needed. Can you get me two boxes down from the top? The ‘Aztec Empire’ and ‘Spanish Conquest’ ones.”

I nodded and climbed the stepladder, being careful to dodge the lightbulb that was dangling dangerously close to my head.

“Did you have fun with Bones?”

“As much fun as doing homework can be, yeah,” I replied, dusting off the boxes to reveal their names. I coughed as a cloud of cobwebs swept across my face.

Mom hummed in thought. “You’ve been spending a lot of time out lately.”

I looked down at her. She was giving me a friendly but suspicious look, both hands on her hips. I didn’t say anything, choosing to turn back to the boxes as if I’d never heard her comment.

“I suppose you’re at that age now, where you go out more. Unless… someone has caught your interest?”

I froze, internally cursing her ability to read me so easily. I swallowed and carried on dusting the boxes, trying to sound casual as I replied.

“Well, we just wanna spend as much time as we can with each other before college.”

“College is over a year away, habibti,” she replied flatly.

_Shit_. _Need a new excuse_.

“W-which boxes did you need again?” I asked, despite having now found both the boxes she wanted.

Mom laughed, but punctuated it with a sigh and a tut. I could only imagine she was rolling her eyes at my desperate attempt to change the subject.

“Won’t even tell your own mother eh? Maybe it’s nothing then,” she chuckled as I brought one of the boxes down and climbed up for the other.

I brought the second box down and began to retaliate, only to be greeted with Mom’s twinkling eyes and wide grin. I stammered and she stayed silent, looking at me inquisitively.

“It’s not _nothing_ , but… nothing _interesting_ ,” I mumbled, feeling myself blushing. I scratched the back of my neck, wishing I was better at lying.

Mom hummed as if it was the most exciting piece of news she’d heard all day, then picked up one of the boxes to take into the kitchen, as if the conversation had never happened.

“He’s just a friend!” I blurted out.

Mom turned back to look at me. “Ah! It’s a _he_ then,” she chirped. “I won’t tell your father if he’s _just a friend_ , don’t worry.”

I followed her with the second box, internally cursing with every step I took. We set the boxes on the counter island and settled into the living room to watch TV with dad, Mom walking with a spring in her step.

“You got ‘em?” Dad asked.

Mom hummed in reply, casting me a smug grin as she settled into her armchair. I pretended not to notice, focusing on the TV instead as I slumped onto the couch.

Even Linda Lawson on another re-run of Adventures in Paradise wasn’t enough to keep my concentration; those three words kept cycling through my head over and over; _just a friend_. Even as I retired to my room and switched out the light, I could see them on the ceiling, on the inside of my eyelids. I sighed and turned onto my side, trying, to no avail, to block out the lingering thoughts of Sam.

_Maybe Bones was onto something_. _Mom certainly was_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while to upload; I was unsure of the ending of this chapter for a little while, and I also wanted to write some of chapter five before I uploaded it so I don't fall too far behind. I hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Josephine Coleman, Rebel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relationships deepen as new friendships are forged.

Warnings: cursing.

Songs that helped me write this:

['Kids in America' by Kim Wilde](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIOOAo3J1c0)

['Feeling This' by blink-182](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kMZ23T9VHE)

* * *

 

**Friday 1 st April, 1988**

“Y’know, considering you have a motorbike, I don’t think I’ve ever done so much walking in my life.”

I was trudging behind Sam on the sidewalk as he walked backwards in front of me with his arms folded, an amused grin on his face.

“We’re not going much further, I promise.”

I rolled my eyes back at him. For reasons unknown, Sam had insisted on us going for pizza when he picked me up, taking me to a place on Thacher Street that he took Nathan to sometimes. I agreed, on the condition that I paid. Sam protested, eventually making me settle on splitting the cost. We sat for a couple of hours, savouring every bite and chatting. Even though the booth we were sat in was made of uncomfortably hard wood, I could have sat there all night if it meant being sat opposite Sam, watching his face light up in laughter at my jokes, and seeing his eyes sparkle at my ramblings of history and anything else we talked about. It was incredible that no matter how often we saw each other, the conversation never ran dry; if anything, since he opened up to me about his past, our friendship flourished even more.

_Friendship_ , I reminded myself, pushing down the bizarre sensation of butterflies that flew into my stomach as Sam paced back to walk beside me at a distance that I would’ve considered too close were it anyone else.

An unexpected breezed whipped around us as we made our way onto Charlestown Bridge. I shivered and hugged my arms, wishing I’d had the sense to stuff a jacket into my schoolbag this morning. The weather had been deceptively warm today, so I had only worn a short-sleeved _Rush_ t-shirt tucked into high-waisted shorts and a pair of pumps to school, but I was regretting it now.

Sam noticed, and began taking off his denim jacket.

“Here.” He placed it over my shoulders before I could even protest that _he_ ’ _d_ be cold.

“Thanks,” I replied, wriggling my arms through the sleeves and casting a grateful smile up to him. It was too big for me; my fingers were only just visible, making us giggle.

“Little big,” I commented.

Sam looked me up and down. “It’s cute,” he mumbled. He nibbled his bottom lip, which I could swear was to suppress a smile. The butterflies returned.

I looked out across the river, huddling into Sam’s jacket. My heart fluttered as the breeze made his scent hit my nostrils, a warm, calming sensation spreading over me.

“So, uh… why’re we here, exactly?” I asked, turning to him and forcing down the urge to take hold of his hand.

Sam stopped and leant against the railings, casting his gaze all around him as if waiting for something to happen. I leant next to him.

“Give it a few minutes,” he replied at last, still looking outward.

Bewildered, I glanced around us. Noises of the early evening rush hour filled my ears and the odd pedestrian ambled past us, but nothing was standing out.

Then, I saw it. Just as the sky was beginning to darken, the streetlamps blinked to life, followed by more lights. I looked up in fascination, watching an illuminated trail work its way across the structure of the bridge, from the very top down to the beams either side of us, some of the bulbs making a _pop_. Sam nudged me and pointed down to the river. The lights from the bridge blended together on the surface of the dark water, swaying with the current as if they were alive.

“Wow!”

“Right?”

I could feel him looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

“Can’t believe I’ve lived in Boston my whole life, and I’ve never noticed this,” I laughed. I turned to Sam, an amazed smile still etched onto my face.

“D’you take Nathan here too?”

Sam went wide-eyed and shuffled in his spot, scratching the back of his head and glancing around.

“No, actually. Only ever been here a couple of times… by myself,” he confessed, biting his lip again.

“Guess I was saving it for someone special,” he chuckled, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Oh, Sammy, I’m honoured,” I laughed, draping myself against the railings and putting a hand to my chest. Sam’s laughter intensified and he doubled over, eyes squeezed tight shut.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” he began, stopping to catch his breath. “No one’s called me Sammy in a _long_ time.”

“Oh,” I smiled at him. “Well… guess there’s always a time for things to come back. And thank you for showing me this,” I said, tilting my head towards the water.

“No problem.” Sam relaxed again and we settled into silence. Our blissful moment was short-lived, however, as I felt him stiffen next to me.

“What is it?”

He opened his mouth, but shut it again. He turned to me, guilt on his face.

“Uh, listen. I, uh… I need to go outta town for a couple of weeks for a job on Monday. Nothin’ dangerous, just some travelling. It happens sometimes, but it pays good money and I’ll be ba-why’re you smiling?”

I shook my head at him, but I wasn’t mad.

“That explains the pizza. And the bridge,” I said, folding my arms.

Sam raised his eyebrows at me, still looking concerned. “You mean you’re not angry with me?”

“What? Of _course_ not, you marblehead,” I laughed, reaching out and touching his shoulder in reassurance.

He relaxed again, casting me a relieved smile. The sheer gratefulness in his eyes set my heart on fire, but it ached knowing that he’d expected me to be mad at him. It only emphasised how much he’d been through earlier on in his life, and how much he wanted to please the people closest to him.

_Damn_ _this boy_.

“You know me too well, huh?” He chuckled. “Not complaining though,” he added with a wink.

_Oh god_. _Has he ever winked at me before_? _Don_ ’ _t think so_. _Keep it cool_.

I let out an unattractive, choked laugh. I turned my head away in a flash, contemplating jumping into the river.

More silence.

_Aaand you_ ’ _ve made it awkward_. _Nice one_.

I swallowed and turned back to him. I was relieved to see he was gazing at the river with a lopsided smile on his face, resting his head on one hand. He turned to look at me when he noticed me staring. His smile widened, and his head slumped further into his hand. I couldn’t help but smile back, my nerves melting away.

After what felt like a lifetime, Sam cast his gaze upwards and stood straight.

“You know this bridge is eighty-eight years old? And it only took two years to build,” he stated, looking back at me.

I blinked in surprise. “Where the hell did that come from? And how’d you know that?”

“Believe it or not, I spend a bit of time in the local libraries.”

“Didn’t know bridges were your subject of choice,” I laughed.

Sam snorted. “They’re not, but there’s only so much you can find about pirates before you start seein’ the same shit in each book,” he explained.

“Like how,” I made speech marks with my hands, “ _Not all pirates flew the Jolly Rodger_?”

“Hey, you remembered!” Sam exclaimed with raised eyebrows.

“Of course, you drilled that one into my head for like _two hours_ last week!”

“Can you remember the flags of all the pirates I told you about?” He asked, eyebrows raising further.

“Can you remember the names and roles of all the Egyptian gods and goddesses _I_ told _you_ about?” I retaliated.

Sam shrugged, shaking his head and tousling his hair. “All right, fair point. But in my defence, there are a _lot_.”

“There are,” I agreed. “You’ll get there eventually though. I’ll make sure of it.” I nudged him.

We laughed with each other again before settling back into silence. Our eyes travelled along the railings.

Sam broke the silence again. “Hey, you got a compass in your schoolbag?”

“Uh, yeah, why?”

He turned and knelt down, peering at the underside of the railings we were leaning against before looking back at me with mischievous eyes. “I got an idea. Why don’t we… make a piece of history ourselves?”

I stared at him for a moment, until it clicked. “You mean _vandalise_ the Charlestown bridge?”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun! We’re not hurting anyone!” Sam persisted, his eyes softening.

“If you wanna get your kicks by being a vandal, be my guest. Leave me out of it though,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“You mean you _don_ ’ _t_ wanna be my partner in crime?”

I sighed as his eyes widened further, impossibly innocent for such a troublemaker. I looked around us, seeing that the traffic had calmed, and pedestrians were few and far between.

“ _All right_ , if it’ll make you stop with the puppy eyes,” I caved. I shook my head, but a smile broke out onto my face as I knelt down and reached into my bag. Sam whooped in delight as I fished out my compass, passing it to him. He took it and began scratching away on the underside of the railing. I watched him, not being able to stop myself from admiring how his jaw clenched in his concentration, the way he remained fixed on the task at hand despite the wind tousling his hair, making it wilder than ever.

He turned to look at me when he had finished. I felt my heartrate quicken, suddenly very much aware of how long I’d been watching him. He didn’t seem to mind; he merely held out the compass to me, the green in his eyes glimmering.

“Your turn.”

I smiled and took it from him. It was only a compass, but I was holding it like I’d been caught with a murder weapon. I shifted closer and peered under.

The initials were scruffy due to the effort taken to scratch into the paintwork, but _SM_ was undeniably visible. I looked back at Sam once more, uncertain, and he nodded encouragingly.

I swallowed and took a deep breath, steadying my hand and carving _JOC_ just to the right of Sam’s handiwork.

“There,” I declared, dropping the compass back into my bag and springing up, smoothing out my shirt and feigning innocence. Thankfully for us, no one was around.

“ _Nice_ ,” Sam praised my handiwork before standing up himself and grinning at me. “You’re officially a vandal, sweetheart.”

“You _made_ me do it!” I protested, shoving his shoulder.

“ _Me_? I’m a good, law-abiding citizen, I’ll have you know,” he replied, but we both collapsed into laughter in a matter of seconds. Once we calmed down, Sam offered me his arm, tilting his head back to the way we came.

“Shall we get you back home?”

My heart sank a little, but I nodded and took hold of his arm.

“So what is this job you’re going for, exactly?”

“Being honest, I’m not entirely sure. Cargo packaging and transportation, that’s as much as I’ve been told,” Sam replied.

“I bet it’s drugs. Like, hardcore drugs.”

Sam snickered. “Doubtful. Taken similar jobs before, it’s normally boring stuff. Household appliances and shit like that.”

We were back at his motorbike, so I let go of his arm as he climbed on, me following him.

“Well… just be careful, okay?”

“Why, are you worried?” Sam turned his head to grin at me as I wrapped my hands around his middle.

“Only worried you’ll miss me,” I shot back with unexpected confidence. Surprise crossed his face for a split second, but he covered it up with a high pitched laugh as he turned his head away, and we sped off.

In truth, I _was_ worried, even though he’d clearly been doing this for longer than he’d known me. Still, my heart ached knowing that we wouldn’t see each other for two weeks as of today. It ached even _more_ knowing how he’d wanted to make up for his absence; the food, the bridge, _everything_. It was unbelievably sweet, how he showered those closest to him with affectionate gestures. I found myself smiling as we drove, knowing how lucky I was to be one of those people.

Like a punch to my gut, the butterflies returned. It was becoming perilous to ignore them. They had become an increasingly common companion whenever Sam and I hugged, whenever we talked, whenever he looked at me with genuine interest in his eyes… whenever we were together, really.

I swallowed, contemplating this as it swept to the front of my mind all at once. I’d already begun to ponder if Bones and Lewis were onto something, and there was little use denying it now.

We pulled up not far from my house. Sam steadied the bike and I loosened my grip from around him. He twisted to face me, hair windswept and smile as adorable as ever.

I cleared my throat, realising neither of us had moved for several seconds. I busied myself by taking his jacket off.

“No no, keep it for a little while,” Sam insisted.

I looked at him with one eyebrow raised and stuffed it onto his lap. “No way, you need it more than me. Has to get cold riding a motorcycle everywhere.”

“S’not so bad when you have a cute girl holding onto you.”

I froze, heart hammering. _Did he really just say that_?

“I mean, uh-” the words raced out of his mouth, but the thought was clearly incomplete. He panicked, eyes growing wide and pink creeping onto his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head and swallowed. A grin broke out onto my face before I could stop it. My earlier confidence rematerialized, and before I knew it, I found myself leaning forward. Sam stayed still, eyeing me curiously. He was fumbling with his jacket with one hand.

“See you again?” I asked, breath tickling his cheek.

He nodded, smiling and clearing his throat. “You know it.”

Before I could talk myself out of it, I closed the distance between us and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. It was only for a second, but my heart sang, as if a puzzle piece had just slotted perfectly into place. Or, perhaps, it was the beginning of a whole new puzzle.

I climbed off the bike, readjusting my bag and shaking my hair out of my face. Sam was staring at me with a look of awe, his cheeks growing ever pinker.

He blinked as if he had snapped out of a trance, then waved. I began pacing backwards to my house, still watching him. His gaze lingered on mine for a while longer, before he straightened his back and started the engine. He snatched his jacket and pulled it on, which I couldn’t help but laugh at. Then, he drove off, casting another glance at my front door as I stood on the porch.

 

**Two weeks later…**

**Friday 15 th April, 1988**

The next fortnight seemed to go by at an agonisingly slow pace. Lewis took every opportunity he could to drill into Bones and I that our exams were looming in the distance. As much as we admired how hard he worked, I could see it was starting to grate on Bones; she looked ready to punch him whenever he mentioned his planned college visits in summer… which was _every_ morning on the walk to school. Knowing I’d be seeing Sam later, he decided to take this lunchtime to plague me with his anxious reminders.

“Lewis, _I know_. We _both_ know.” I rolled my eyes between bites of my sandwich. “One evening with Sam after two weeks isn’t gonna kill me, you _know_ I work hard.”

“Yeah, _lay off_ , Lewis,” Bones added, clearly happy to assist. “Let her see her boyfriend again, you buzzkill.”

“He’s not-” I began, but I stopped myself as they both grinned back at me, Bones sticking her tongue out. It was useless.

“D’you think he’ll _return the favour_ later? Is that why you’re wearing lip gloss today?” Bones asked, eyebrows wiggling. She puckered her lips.

“I regret ever telling you guys anything.”

 

When the end of the day rolled around, I found myself in an unfamiliar position; Sam was nowhere to be seen. I stood at the curb, dumbfounded. Bones and Lewis were just as perplexed as I was.

“Well… this is a first,” Lewis spoke.

“…Yeah,” Bones added.

“You said he was outta town for work, right? Maybe he just got a little held up on the way back in. He’ll be here,” Lewis reassured me, patting my arm. I glanced at him, grateful for his support in spite of his earlier nagging. We smiled at each other.

“Thanks, Einstein. Always the rational one,” I giggled. Bones laughed, and Lewis’s smile widened tenfold.

 

A further fifteen minutes passed. The crowds of people leaving school had grown thin, but there was still no sign of Sam. The three of us sat on the edge of the curb. Lewis had his nose buried in one of his textbooks, Bones was tapping her feet and humming. I huddled myself between them both, folding my arms in my lap. My stomach was in knots as I tried desperately to ignore the worrisome thoughts fleeting through my head.

“Goddamn, where _is_ he?” I muttered to myself, bringing a hand to the back of my neck.

“Hey hey, it’s all right. You’re not alone, you got us!” Bones nudged me, prying my hand free and holding it.

As if on cue, we heard a motorbike approaching. I lifted my head up, relief washing over me as Sam pulled to a stop at the curb. He shot us all an apologetic look as we got up to greet him.

“Hey, sorry I’m late!” He called over the noise of the engine, gesturing for me to hop on.

“Everything okay?” Bones asked.

“Yeah yeah, all good,” Sam replied, but his eyes were glazed over as I hopped onto the back of the bike.

“Thanks for waiting with me, guys.” I shot them a grateful smile, which they returned.

“Of course!” Lewis replied, nodding as he and Bones began to head home.

“Bring her back in one piece!” Bones joked, not for the first time. Normally, Sam would laugh and roll his eyes at this before we set off, but he barely acknowledged her, fiddling with his mirrors instead. I frowned, and decided to break the ice.

“So… how’d the job go?”

Sam snapped back into reality. “Oh, uh, yeah, it was fine.”

“Good,” I replied, wrapping my hands around his waist. He seemed to relax a little at my touch.

“I’ve actually got a little surprise visit to make – is that all right?”

I nodded, intrigued. “Totally! Let’s go!”

Without further hesitation we were on the road. A million questions were running through my mind again, but I knew I’d have to wait until we stopped. For now, I was content to enjoy his company, gaining comfort from being so close to him again.

I remembered what had happened last time he’d dropped me off, and my cheeks grew hot. I still hadn’t figured out where that bravery had come from, but now, doubt was entering my mind. Maybe Sam was acting off because he didn’t feel whatever _I_ was feeling for him? Maybe the surprise visit was just going to be him letting me down gently – or what if he already had a girlfriend?

_Keep it cool_. _He_ ’ _s never mentioned a girlfriend before_.

We pulled to a stop in a wide alleyway; not an unusual spot by any means, but not the place I’d imagined for a supposed surprise visit.

“All right, it’s just straight up here.” Sam gestured to a ladder attached to the side of one of the buildings.

“You gonna tell me where we’re going yet?” I asked, hands on my hips.

“I told you, it’s a surprise,” he replied with a mischievous grin.

I groaned and rolled my eyes, climbing up the ladder with Sam behind me. The rooftop was quiet, save for the whirring of a few industrial roof vents nearby. I glanced around at the other buildings as Sam came up from behind me. He placed a gentle arm across my shoulders and gave me a tight smile. The gesture made my heart flutter, but something still didn’t feel right.

“You _sure_ you’re okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Sam insisted, tousling his hair and avoiding my gaze. His eyes landed on my lips.

“You wearin’ make-up?”

My face was on fire. “O-only a little,” I shrugged. I took a deep breath, my mind still fixated on our last meeting. I knotted my hands, glancing at the floor.

“So, about la-”

I was cut short by a metallic thud on one of the vents. A young boy had jumped down onto it from the rooftop above. When he saw Sam and I, his face lit up in joy and he raced towards us, Sam doing the same.

“Sam!” The boy shouted, crashing into Sam and wrapping his arms around him.

“Nathan! It’s good to see you again, little brother!” Sam replied. Any hint of negativity in his voice had disappeared the instant he leant down to hug him.

Everything slid into place as I approached them, heart melting at the genuine smiles on their faces. So, _this_ was the surprise visit.

Sam turned his head to me, his grin softening as he waved me over.

“Nathan, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

I approached them, scratching the back of my neck with a timid gaze. Nathan mirrored me, detaching himself from Sam and glancing up at me.

His eyes were a bright blue, a stark contrast to Sam’s. They shared the same hair colour, although Nathan’s was a mop of soft curls that sat just past his ears, framing his round cheeks. I couldn’t help but notice that a purple mark was poking out from near his temple; he clearly had a knack for getting into trouble, just like his brother.

“Josie,” Sam began, placing a reassuring hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “This is Nathan, my little brother.”

Upon hearing my name, Nathan’s eyes widened a little. His shoulders dropped and a small smile appeared. I held out my hand to him, and he took it gingerly.

“Hey, Nathan,” I said, smiling.

“ _You_ ’ _re_ Josie?” He asked, a sense of wonder to his voice.

“That’s me. It’s good to meet you, Sam’s told me a lot about you.”

Nathan’s eyes brightened even more. “He’s told me a lot about you, too. He never stops talking about you.” His last statement was punctuated with an upwards glance to his big brother.

Sam ruffled Nathan’s hair. “ _Aaaall_ right all right, I don’t think she needs to hear that,” he laughed, his voice higher than usual.

I giggled, raising an eyebrow at Sam. He tousled his hair again. My previous nerves all but dissipated as he looked down, trying to hide the pink creeping into his cheeks.

“So how’d the job go?” Nathan asked.

“It was all right, pretty standard ya know?” Sam replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Lotta cargo shifting, all tha-”

“Did you find Mom’s stuff?”

Sam hesitated, sighing and jamming his hands into his pockets.

“I’m sorry, Nathan. I… I didn’t.”

The smile drifted away from Nathan’s face, his eyes losing their sparkle. He looked down at the ground.

“I will though, I promise, all right?” Sam added, putting both hands on his shoulders. Nathan kept his gaze fixed on the ground.

“It’s okay,” Nathan mumbled.

I watched them with uncertainty. Sam’s expression flooded with guilt as he knelt down, determined to lift his brother’s spirits.

“Believe me Nathan, I wanna find it as much as you do. I _will_ find it.”

“Why not let me help you?” Nathan asked, looking Sam in the eyes with renewed determination. “The nuns won’t even notice I’m gone-”

Sam smiled a little, but shook his head. “No, not a good idea.”

“Why _not_?” Nathan retorted.

Sam glanced at me, as if asking for help. I knelt down next to him, keeping my voice gentle as I spoke.

“Hey, Nathan, listen. I’m sure Sam would _really_ appreciate your help out there,” I paused, glancing at Sam. He nodded along with me.

“But you gotta understand. He wants to keep you safe, look after you. If you were out with him, well… he’d be worrying about you non-stop.”

Nathan still didn’t budge, so I tried again.

“Besides, for all we know, you might end up being a better treasure hunter than Sam. That’d be _pretty_ embarrassing for him, right?” I leant forward, grinning.

Sam made a fake noise of protest, causing Nathan to let out a small laugh. I laughed with him, and soon a smile spread across his face.

“Well, bruised egos aside,” Sam began, standing up and holding a hand out for me, “whaddya say we go for a ride?”

“Can we all fit on that bike?” I asked, taking his hand. Nathan was already sprinting towards the ladder.

“Sure we can, I’m only small!” Nathan shouted, descending out of sight.

Sam smiled and shook his head, glancing at me.

“Thanks for the help there,” he said, swinging one leg back and forth.

“Of course.”

A pause. We stared at each other for a moment, until a wave of confidence hit me once more and I grabbed his hand.

“Come on, let’s not keep your little brother waiting.”

 

At Nathan’s request, we made our way to Boston Public Gardens – though, of course, it was never as simple as that. Sam pulled to a stop a few streets away, he and Nathan giving each other a knowing look.

“You wanna show Josie how it’s done, Nathan?”

Nathan grinned back. “ _Hell_ yeah.”

Within seconds, Nathan was scanning our surroundings, looking for a way up the nearest, smallest building. He climbed onto dumpster, shimmied up a drainpipe, grabbed onto a windowsill – all with Sam and I just behind him. Nathan threw questions behind him to us as we continued to run and climb our way across the skyline, as if one wrong foot or one loose grip wouldn’t cause him serious injury. He was unlike any other kid I’d met.

“Can see where he gets this from!” I called back to Sam, who made a noise of agreement.

A few minutes later, and the climbing was done – but the journey wasn’t quite over.

“One more jump, you can do it! I gotcha!” Sam shouted to me from across the gap.

“Yeah, c’mon Josie!” Nathan encouraged.

I gulped, heart hammering. Although not the highest, it was one of the _wider_ gaps I’d encountered so far. I scraped my hair out of my face and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fleeting mental images of me plummeting to my potential demise if something went wrong.

One foot went in front of the other, again and again. I focused on Sam and Nathan.

_Don_ ’ _t look down_. _Don_ ’ _t look down_.

One final step, and I leapt as far as my legs would allow.

“Holy shit!” I shouted as the gap disappeared behind me. My relief was short-lived, however, as I collided straight into Sam’s open arms and the air was knocked out of me.

“I gotcha,” he soothed, staggering back from the impact but still holding me close, one hand on my waist and the other on the back of my head. I could’ve closed my eyes and stayed there forever, breathing in the comfort of his scent, but reality caught up with us.

Nathan whooped and clapped his hands, bouncing on the spot with excitement. Sam put his hands on my shoulders and observed me, a huge smile plastered on his face.

“ _That_ , was badass,” he laughed. I managed a weak smile in response, taking shallow breaths. Sam noticed, and his eyebrows knitted together.

“You all right?”

“Little hard to breathe,” I gasped.

“Easy, slow breaths. You just got the wind knocked outta you.” He ghosted his hands down my arms, giving my hands a reassuring squeeze.

I did as he instructed, nodding once the tightness in my chest disappeared and I could breathe normally again. Sam still held onto one of my hands for a few seconds longer as we followed Nathan, who was wandering towards a ladder at the edge of the rooftop. Sam reassured me that they’d both done the same thing before, multiple times.

“I’m surprised you actually _admitted_ that in front of her, Sam,” Nathan joked, grinning at his brother.

“Hey!” Sam protested, tapping the back of Nathan’s head. I laughed at them, surprised at how perceptive and witty Nathan was despite his young age.

We made our way into the park, taking in our surroundings on the way. The occasional skater passed by, the rumbling of their wheels on the concrete the only warning sound before they whizzed past us. I noticed a queue of people waiting at a nearby food stand. My nostrils twitched, and the scent was instantly recognisable.

“Oh man, I’ve _gotta_ get you guys some of these.” I ran towards the stand before they could stop me, both of them in tow.

A few minutes later, we were sat at the lakeside, fresh hot donuts in hand. I leant back on my elbows and crossed my legs.

“So, what did you think of your first public gardens donut?”

Sam swallowed another mouthful. “Little sweet for me, I think.”

“I’ll have the rest of yours!” Nathan offered gleefully.

Sam laughed and passed Nathan the rest of his donut. The whole thing disappeared in two gigantic bites.

“Easy! You’ll make your stomach hurt!” Sam scolded, though he sounded more impressed than anything.

“Dessert’s nothing like this at the orphanage,” Nathan replied, mouth still full.

“You come out with me, I’ll get you as many donuts as you like,” I chimed in. Nathan’s eyebrows shot up and he smiled at me. I grinned back at him, casting my gaze to Sam when I noticed him leaning to join in.

“I’ll know who to blame if my little brother gets cavities, then,” he joked, winking at me.

“Let him _live_ a little, Sam!” I laughed, rolling my eyes. Nathan stuck his tongue out at Sam, who raised his eyebrows in mock offence, then looped an arm around Nathan’s shoulders, pulling him to the ground. Nathan laughed and gripped onto Sam’s arm.

“Let’s see you get outta this one, Houdini!” Sam cried with a dramatic evil laugh. Nathan kicked his legs in a fake cry for help and Sam let go of him a few seconds later, both of them overflowing with giggles.

“ _Houdini_?” I asked, tilting my head.

“I do magic tricks!” Nathan exclaimed, sitting up properly and turning to me.

“Can you show me?” I asked, sitting cross-legged opposite him.

Nathan’s expression was one of pure joy as he pulled out a quarter from his pocket.

“Don’t spoil the surprise, okay?” Nathan warned, turning back to Sam.

Sam held up his hands. “I won’t, I swear.”

The three of us spent the next couple of hours sat on the grass. Nathan took great delight in showing me various magic tricks and telling me all about his plans to take magic more seriously in the future. His tricks were pretty impressive, though I pretended not to notice when a couple of them didn’t quite go according to plan. We eventually got up to stretch our legs, skipping rocks on the lake and continuing to talk.

“So,” I began. “If it’s all right to ask… what was that all about earlier? About your mom’s stuff?”

Nathan seemed to fill up with a mixture of enthusiasm and sadness as he smoothed his fingers over the pebble in his hand. “Our mom had a bunch of books she used to write in. Like… journals, for treasure hunting. She kept all her findings and theories in them. I don’t remember them well, but…” Sam stepped in, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“But Dad sold them. Asshole,” he hissed, tossing one of his own pebbles onto the water’s surface.

“Sam’s been trying to track down the buyer, but it’s not easy,” Nathan sighed.

“Oh, man. I’m sorry, that’s…” I couldn’t think of a suitable adjective to express my sympathy, so I punctuated my condolence with a sigh.

“Yeah, it sucks. Now some museum or whatever’ll get it instead.” Nathan threw his pebble. It plopped straight into the water.

“Hey hey, none of that. I won’t let that happen,” Sam reassured him. “Or, worse case scenario… I’ll just steal it back,” he added with a smile.

I laughed a little, but my mind was elsewhere.

As made our way slowly back to Sam’s bike and Nathan reluctantly returned to Saint Francis Boy’s Home after hugging Sam goodbye, his words kept repeating in my mind.

_Now some museum or whatever_ ’ _ll get it instead_.

Sam and I pulled up near my house. I could see that the car was absent from the driveway, meaning my parents weren’t in.

“You wanna come in for a minute?” I offered.

Sam replied by cutting off the engine and we made our way up to my house. I unlocked the door and we wandered in. It wasn’t the first time I’d invited Sam back to mine when I knew the place was empty; by now, he’d gotten used to settling himself in my desk chair or on the end of my bed pretty quickly, and we spent a while longer talking and laughing, until he had to leave or my parents came back.

Today, however, his shoulders were slumped and he had a pensive look as he spun absentmindedly in my desk chair. I threw my schoolbag onto my bed, sitting down and crossing my legs.

Sam looked up at the motion, his lips a tight line. Although the worries in my mind had died down since earlier, they were crawling back to me now that silence surrounded us. I knew it needed to be broken, so I cleared my throat. Sam’s eyes met mine.

“Hey, so… am I right in thinking you were a little off today?” I asked, keeping my voice gentle.

Sam loosened his lips and sighed, giving the tiniest of nods. I swallowed, deciding to dive in at the deep end.

“If it’s because of what I did last week-”

“Oh no, no, not at all!” Sam interrupted, eyes widening. “That… that was great,” he added, both our cheeks tinting. I nodded, encouraging him to continue.

“It’s just that… I feel like a jerk. About the stuff with Nathan.”

He arose from his seat and paced back and forth, chewing his lip and stuffing his hands into his jean pockets.

“I’m tryin’ to find our mom’s stuff, but… it seems hopeless,” he sighed, slumping back in his seat again. “S’why I was a little late gettin’ to you today. I was checking out a new lead, but… turned up jack shit. I know he wants this, we _both_ do. But I don’t know what to do next.”

Sam’s voice quietened towards the end of his sentence. He frowned, staring at a spot on the carpet. My heart sank at seeing him so defeated, but my earlier musings sprung back to my mind and I stood up, catching his attention.

“I think I got an idea.”

Sam swivelled to face me, now frowning with interest.

“Nathan said earlier, about your mom’s stuff being bought by a museum,” I began, raking my hands through my hair. Sam hummed as he followed my train of thought.

“Well, my parents _work_ for a museum, Sam! We’re always talking about the new exhibits they’re setting up. If something new turns up, I’d be one of the first to find out!”

Sam’s eyes widened in realisation. He pressed his palms into his knees and stood up, walking up to me with wide eyes.

“So… you’re saying you’d keep tabs on the museum? You’d _do_ that for us?”

“Mhmm.” I smiled up at him, nodding.

Although Sam’s eyes lit up in elation, the practicality of my idea caught up with me, and I averted my eyes to the ground, knotting my hands.

“I mean, we can’t _guarantee_ they’ll turn up there, but it’s worth keeping an eye ou-”

Before I could finish my sentence, Sam had picked me up by the waist in a crushing hug, spinning us around on the spot. He still held me when my feet were back on the ground so I wound my arms round his back, standing on my tiptoes.

“Sweetheart, you are the best goddamn person in the world,” Sam breathed.

“Nathan’s gonna love you even more after he hears this.”

I laughed as I felt my face grow hot, though I convinced myself that it was just because I was pressed against Sam. I grinned into the fabric of his jacket.

My smile soon faded, however, as my eyes landed on the calendar above my desk. It was filled with angry red scribbles towards the end of the month – STUDY DAY.

“There’s… just one little problem though,” I began, guilt already dripping from my words.

Sam pulled back, hands on my shoulders with gentle concern on his face. “What is it?”

I drew in a breath, glancing at the floor.

“We may have to tone down the adventuring after school… a-at least for a little while,” I explained, looking up at him again.

“Did I do something wrong?” Sam asked, his voice quiet as his hands began to ghost away from my shoulders.

“No, god no! It’s not you, I promise,” I jumped in to ease his worries, placing a hand on his jaw. He immediately relaxed at my touch, confidence returning to his eyes. “It’s just that I got exams next month. We can still go out, just not as much, for a little while,” I continued, casting my eyes back to my calendar. The scribbles didn’t look as intimidating as before.

“Oh,” Sam breathed, smiling again. “I hear ya, sweetheart.” His hands left my body and he turned around, following my gaze to my calendar.

“I’ll be done at the end of May, though,” I added as he flicked the page up.

“Gotcha, twenty-seventh.” He dropped the page back down and turned back to me, embracing me in another, unexpected hug.

“Thanks for understanding, Sam,” I said, placing my arms back around him.

“No problem. You’re gonna do great,” he replied, holding me tighter.

“I hope so,” I laughed, trying to hide my nervousness.

Sam pulled back again, leaning down a little so our eyes were almost level.

“You _will_ ,” he insisted. His words were firm, but his eyes were filled with kindness, making me realise I was holding my breath. “You’re the smartest person I know.”

My eyes widened at his comment. “Y-you’re totally just saying that,” I stammered, my cheeks growing warm again. Sam smiled with his brow furrowed, shaking his head.

“You know I’m not,” he rebutted. His eyes flicked to my lips.

“That colour _really_ suits you, by the way,” he murmured, eyes unmoving.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

A silence settled over us, the only sounds being our delicate breathing and my heart hammering in my chest. Sam moved forward – a barely noticeable action if we weren’t already face to face, his breath tickling my cheeks as I tilted my head up to meet his-

The splutter of a car engine forced us back into the present. We exhaled and Sam snapped his head around, his shoulders falling with a sigh.

“Shit,” I hissed. We both knew our time was up, for now. “Sorry. I’ll see you soon, yeah?” I asked.

Sam turned back to me, cool as ever despite his need to make a quick escape. “Course you will,” he replied, straightening up and making his way to my window. He opened it up and turned around, casting me a look I couldn’t quite describe.

Just as the sound of keys jangling came from the front door, he planted a hand on my shoulder, leant down, and gently pressed his lips to my cheek. It was only for a second, but it was long enough to answer the questions that had been trapped in my mind for the last fortnight, and awaken a whole new flood of emotions that I’d been trying to keep under wraps.

Then, with a wink and a dashing smile, he was gone, leaving me with my head spinning and a dumbfounded look on my face.

“Pumpkin! We’re home!” Dad called from downstairs.

“Sorry we’re a little late, habibti! We went to the store too!” Mom added.

Blinking myself back into the room, I tried to hide the music in my voice as I danced into the hall and down the stairs.

“Hi Mom! Hi Dad!”

“There she is!” Dad declared as I walked into the kitchen, but the smile on his face was quickly replaced with confusion.

“Are you wearing make-up?”

My mind screeched to a halt.

“Oh, uh… yeah,” I replied. My hands ghosted up to my face subconsciously.

Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “Not like you to wear make-up to school.”

“It’s _just_ lip gloss, Dad,” I brushed off his comment, folding my arms. I heard Mom giggle as she was searching the fridge.

“Well _forgive me_ for not knowing what teenage girls are into these days,” he sassed back, nudging me with a wink. I laughed and nudged him back. Our playfight quickly escalated, both of us shrieking with laughter.

“All right now, children,” Mom interrupted, though she was smiling too. “Daniel, help me put some of this together for dinner please. Do you still have some studying to do, Josie?”

I nodded. “I’m gonna call Bones real quick, then I’ll get to it,” I replied, heading into the living room for the phone. Mom nodded with a smile.

I made sure to close the door behind me as I dialled Bones’s number. My pulse picked up as I waited for an answer. No doubt Bones would be gloating when I told her the news; I could practically hear her declarations of “I told you so” between the ringing tone.

“Hello?” Came the answer of Irene.

“Hi Irene, it’s Josie. Is Bo-Bridget there?”

“Oh, hello Josie! She’s actually studying at the moment – is it important?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty important. Can’t wait til Monday.” I knew Bones would never let it go if I left her in the dark about this new development until we were at school.

“Hey Josie!” Bones came onto the line. “Thought you’d still be out with lover boy.”

“Hey,” I replied, rolling my eyes with a grin. “Yeah, well, about that. Something… happened.”

“ _Go oooon_ ,” Bones replied, dragging out the last word in anticipation.

I threw a quick glance towards the kitchen. Still alone.

“I’ll tell you more on Monday, but-”

“Come on spit it out!”

I laughed, curling up in my spot on the couch as I played with the phone cord.

“Well, let’s just say… you and Lewis… you really _were_ onto something.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr! - https://shambhalala.tumblr.com/


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